Lost Hope: The Beginning
by BLUENIGHT23
Summary: Erin Johnson is a young girl alone in a world now infested with walkers. Everyone she had cared about was gone. She has no family left and believes she is alone, but when all hope seems lost, she stumbles upon a group of survivors in Atlanta that may just be able to bring hope back into her life. Carl/OC.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**A/N: Hey guy's, I'm back with a new story, based off the TV series The Walking Dead. I love this series so much I decided to make a story on it, so I hope you enjoy. :D**

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter One**

"I heard more stories about the disease again today at school." I told my uncle as we sat and ate dinner together like we always do.

"Yeah, I've been hearing some crazy stories about it at work too." My uncle was a doctor at a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. I've lived alone with my uncle since both my parents died three years ago in a car accident. We live in a tall apartment building right in the middle of the city on the forty-fifth floor, so we get an amazing view of down town Atlanta.

My name is Erin Johnson. I'm eleven years old and in the fifth grade. I have long black hair, and brown eyes. My father was a U.S marine and my mother was a nurse from Brazil. My dad met her when he was sent there on a retreat and they fell in love and soon had me. After that we moved around a lot because of my dad's job. I grew up learning English, Portuguese, and Spanish. My mom homeschooled me because we never really stayed in a place long enough for me to be in school.

My dad wasn't around a lot but when he had time off we would play constantly. Most of the time we would pretend that I was a soldier like my dad, and he would be a civilian who I would end up saving in the end. Sometimes my mom would join in as a civilian too. Dad had also taught me how to shoot guns when I was old enough to learn. When I turned nine my dad's job took us to California. One night my parents wanted to go out to eat on a date and left me home with one of my dad's friends to watch over me, but they never made it back. That was when I was told they were in an accident and died instantly when a semi truck driver hit them head on. After that my dad's brother was kind enough to take me in and treat me as if I was his own. So I lived in Atlanta ever since and also started going to a real school.

Recently there had been stories going on of a strange disease going around that would make people go crazy and eat people. At first I didn't believe it because it sounded so fake; something that would be on a horror movie, but the stories were escalating and beginning to attract even more media attention, so it made me begin to wonder if this was something that was actually happening.

"Do you believe it; the stories going around?" I asked my uncle after taking another bite of my pizza. It was Friday night. We always ate pizza on Fridays and have movie night. It was kind of like our own little tradition that we started soon after I began living with him.

"Yeah, I am beginning to think that it is real, even though it seems very unrealistic, but I'm sure it's nothing you have to be worried about. I haven't heard of any cases of the disease from Atlanta and I'm sure it wouldn't be long before they find a cure.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Anyway, what movie are you thinking you want to watch tonight?" my uncle asked smiling. I love movies and he knew that they always brighten my mood. I had always wanted to make movies when I got older as a career.

I smiled back at him. "Hmm, let's see. How about Step Up 3?" I love dancing as well so this movie was one of my favorites.

My uncle laughed. "Alright, Step Up 3 it is. Why don't you go set it up? I will be there in a sec after I clean up the kitchen."

"Alright!" I bounded up from my chair and went into the living room. I got the movie out and placed it in the DVD player. "Oh can you make popcorn too, please?"

"Of course!" my uncle said. "What is a movie without popcorn?"

Soon we were both sitting on the couch watching the movie with a big bowl of popcorn. Suddenly, during the movie, my uncle's cell phone went off. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller id.

"Hey, sorry I have to take this. I will be right back." he told me walking out of the room. A few minutes later he came back with a scared look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked starting to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I have to go. Something came up at work." He told me not answering my question.

"Okay, when will you be back?" I asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but whatever you do not leave the apartment till I get back. Do not open the door to anyone unless it is me. Do you understand me?" he asked me looking straight into my eyes.

"Yes." I nodded. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it. I am sure everything will be alright." He walked to the door and grabbed his coat and keys. I walked up beside him and he knelt down in front of me. "Remember; don't leave the apartment and don't open the door."

"Okay." I answered.

My uncle kissed my forehead. "I love you, Erin. Be safe."

Then he got up and left. I stood at the door for several minutes before returning back to the movie. I began to hear a lot of honking and sirens outside that came from fire trucks, and police cars rushing by. After awhile I began to hear other people who lived in the apartments start yelling and running all over the place. It sounded like they were all leaving in a rush. Maybe there is a fire. Wait no, the smoke alarms would be going off.

After about an hour of people running back in forth through the halls, it seemed to have calmed down and actually become rather quiet in the building. There was no sound of sirens or honking nearby anymore. I was still able to hear some sirens from farther off in the city. I walked up to the window and looked down. There were no cars passing by the building at all. The streets were oddly quiet.

I went back to the movie to see the ending, trying to push out all thoughts that something bad had happened. The movie ended and I took it out and put it back into its case. Maybe it was a terrorist attack kind of like the nine-eleven. No, stop thinking like that, it is probably nothing too serious.

I walked into my room and lay down on the bed. Maybe I would be able to sleep through all the weird stuff going on. Soon after that I was asleep.

I woke suddenly to the sounds of what sounded like war sirens. I had heard them a few times when I was with Dad, but those were all just tests, never the real thing. It was two in the morning. I was beginning to get scared. Maybe it really was terrorist attacks. I decided to call my uncle. He would know what was going on.

I picked up the phone and quickly dialed his number. It went straight to voice mail.

I began to speak after the tone. "Hi, Uncle Sam, weird things have been happening around here. When are you going to get back? Please call me as soon as you get this message. Okay?" Then I hung up.

I waited for what seemed like an hour and there was still no reply. The sirens were still ringing loud throughout the city. Then I heard thundering-like sounds that made the ground shake. Sounded like bombs being dropped. I ran to the window and looked out there were helicopters flying around farther up town from what I could see, and they were dropping bombs on some building that I couldn't see from back where I was.

I backed away from the window and ran into the bathroom with the phone. I went into the shower and sat down with my knees to my chest. I was very scared. Nothing like this had ever happened before. I dialed my uncle's number again, and again; each time leading straight to voice mail.

"Please come back. I'm scared. There are people dropping bombs on a building. I don't want to be alone. Please call me back or answer or something!" I yelled to the answering machine.

I stayed in the shower the rest of the night. The bombs had resided only an hour after they had begun and the siren had gone off, but there was still no reply from my uncle. The streets were still quiet and empty. My uncle has never left me alone for a whole night before. Something was wrong. I decided to try calling my uncle one last time. Maybe this time he will actually answer.

I dialed the numbers and hit call, but this time instead of getting the answering machine it just beeped like phones do when they get disconnected. Maybe I should call the police. I dialed 9-1-1 and it had the same results. It just beeped. I set the phone down and climbed out of the shower. I looked out the window; still nothing. Maybe I should ride my bike down to the hospital. Wait my uncle told me to stay here.

Suddenly the power went out in the apartment building. The lights switched off, the air conditioner came to a stop, and the refrigerator stopped running. I would have normally obeyed my uncle and stayed in the house, but this was different. Something was terribly wrong and something in the back of my head was telling me that I couldn't stay here.

I decided to pack a bail-out pack in case I would not be coming back. It is something my dad told me to do if there ever was a serious situation possibly involving terrorist attacks. It would be small enough for me to carry around for a long time and provided what I would need to survive a few days. Maybe I was getting too carried away with the whole situation, but I was scared, and when people are scared they can sometimes over exaggerate the situation more than needed.

I packed some water bottles, a few granola bars, my iPod, my uncle's pocket knife that he used when he would take me hunting during the fall, and his pistol that he would keep in his nightstand beside his bed. I made sure to put extra bullets in the bag just in case. My uncle would probably punish me for taking the gun because normally I wouldn't be allowed to touch it at all, but I was too scared to care about that at the time. What would I do if a cop catches me with these things; an eleven year old with a knife and pistol, wandering the streets alone on a bike. I would, with no doubt, be grounded for a month, but I wouldn't mind. I just wanted to see my uncle alive and well, to tell me everything is alright.

I grabbed my bike and opened the front door of the apartment and stepped out into the dark hallway. I walked over to the elevator and pressed the button. Oh, right, there's no power. I opened the door to the stairs and began walking down, my bike by my side and my bag on back.

It wasn't easy taking a bike down forty-five flights of stairs, but I finally managed to reach the bottom. I walked out onto the empty streets and got on my bike, riding towards the hospital, which was only about a mile away.

No one was out walking and no one was driving by; I was completely alone. I continued riding my bike and I started to smell an awful stench as I neared the hospital. Smelt worst then rotting food, or a dead animal. I also smelt a mixture of smoke in the air. I turned the corner and there it was the hospital; or the remains of it.

My heart sunk to my stomach.

"Uncle Sam?"

**A/N: Hey guy's. I know it's not interesting quite yet, but I promise it will get more and more interesting as the story continues. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. :D**


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Two**

"Uncle Sam!" I yelled again, jumping off my bike and running towards what was left of the hospital. It was the hospital they bombed. Why would they bomb the hospital? "Hello, anyone there?"

There was no reply. I walked through a hole that one of the explosions must have created and began searching for any sign of my uncle. I knew it probably wasn't the safest thing to do, walking through an unstable building but I needed to find my uncle. The smell was very strong. It was a mixture of smoke and that rotting smell I smelt early.

I began walking down one of the halls. "Uncle Sam.?" I called out. Tears were beginning to stream down my face. "Anyone there?" Why wasn't anyone helping? Why were there no firemen here to help see if there were any survivors?

Then I heard a scratching sound on one of the doors in the hall. I quickly ran to open it thinking there were survivors inside. The door was jammed shut. I began banging on it, trying to get it open with no prevail. Then I heard what sounded like several people run to the door and begin banging on it. I could hear them all moaning from the inside.

"Hold on! I'm going to try to get the door open!" I called to them. I continued ramming the door and finally gave way, but what was inside, I was not expecting to find. The people inside looked like monsters. Their skin was pale white and rotting. There was blood everywhere and many wounds on the people inside.

All of them came at me and tried to grab me. I quickly began running the opposite direction, back towards the hole I came in through with the people following me. Luckily, I was still lot faster than them.

I ran out of the hospital and grabbed my bike. I took a brief moment to look back at the people. I could actually recognize some of them, but they were nothing like they used to be. One of them used to be a cheery nurse that worked with my uncle. I never saw her not smiling, but now she was coming at me like the rest of them, wanting to take a grab at me. I took off with my bike and rode back towards the city, hoping to make it back to the apartment, but I was cut off by a herd of people that looked just like the ones at the hospital.

I quickly abandoned my bike and ran for an alley way that was nearby. Then I ran towards a ladder on the outside of a building and quickly began to climb up. I climbed up to a small platform and looked down. The people were surrounding the ladder trying to get up to me. None of them seemed to be able to climb at all because all they were doing was reaching up towards me instead of climbing up the ladder, but that didn't matter to me. I was going to get as far away from those people as fast as I could.

I began climbing again. I climbed until I reached the top of the building. I stepped out onto the roof and collapsed to the ground to try to catch my breath. I then realized I was shaking crazily and crying historically. Please don't let me die today. I want to live. I continued crying, but I had stopped shaking.

I cried for what seemed like a very long time. Then, when I seemed to be done, I wiped my face with my sleeve and moved over to the edge of the building. There were people everywhere. They all looked like the ones from the hospital; same rotting flesh.

I stepped away from the ledge. What am I going to do? There is no one around to help me or take care of me. I was alone. There was a door on the roof that most likely led to the inside of the building. I opened the door and saw that it led to stairs. I climbed down one flight of stairs and then went into an empty hall way and sat down leaning against the wall. I pulled the gun out of my bag and held it against my chest.

That's when I heard people; actual people. They were talking normal and didn't sound like the other people I saw today. I heard them coming up the stairs. I gripped the gun tighter to my chest in case I was wrong and the people were like the others.

First person to round the corner to where I was at was an Asian guy, possibly in his early twenties. He looks familiar to me and I knew right away that I have seen him before, but I couldn't remember where from. I stood up and pointed the gun at his head.

"Whoa!" the Asian boy stepped back with his hands up.

Then the others came into view; a lady with blonde hair in a pony tail that looked to be in her early thirties, two African American people, one man, one woman, a big man with wavy brown hair, and a tough looking redneck. When they saw me with the gun pointing towards them they all took a step back.

"Easy." The guy with way brown hair said walking slowly towards. "Put the gun down, we are not here to hurt you."

I then aimed the gun directly at him, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't come any closer." I told him. "I am not afraid to shoot any of you, after what I've seen today. Now you people have to very clear with me and tell me what exactly is going on."

"You mean you don't know what's going on?" The blonde lady asked me.

"No. No one told me anything, because I've been alone for the last fifteen hours."

"Oh, baby girl, where are your parents?" the African American woman asked me.

"Dead." I answered.

"I'm so sorry, baby; didn't you try to get any help? Wasn't there anyone else around that was alive where you were?"

"What are you talking about? They've been dead for three years." I told her.

"Then who has been taking care of you?" she asked me.

"My uncle. He had an emergency yesterday and left during the night. He didn't come back. He is a doctor, so I went to the hospital where he works at to see if he was there and that everything was alright. When I got there the building was in ruins. It was bombed. What is going on? Why would people blow up the hospital and why are these crazy people trying to kill me?"

"They are not people anymore." The African American man told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked him. "What are they?"

"They're walkers; people that were infected by the disease. Most of them were bit or scratched." he replied.

"You mean that crazy disease is here now, in Atlanta?"

"Yeah it infected most the city, unfortunately. The people who bombed the hospital were probably people who were trying to stop the disease from spreading, but it was too late." The guy with brown hair spoke again.

"Now how about you put the gun down and we will tell you more about what is going on and get you something to eat." The black woman told me.

At first I hesitated then I slowly put the gun down and sat against the wall again.

"Now that's better." The lady said moving down to sit next to me. The blonde lady followed her actions and sat down across from me.

"T-Dog, why don't you go look for some food." The lady instructed the black man. T-Dog nodded and moved to walk back down the stairs.

"I will help him." The Asian boy said following him.

"Well I guess I go look out from the roof, then." The tough looking redneck spoke for the first time. He then climbed up the stairs and went out through the door I came in from.

"I will look around the building to see if I can find any supplies." The guy with wavy brown hair said walking down the stairs.

"Be careful." The blonde lady called down to him. "We don't want any of those geeks to know that we are in here."

"What is your name?" the black lady asked me.

"Erin." I answered.

"Oh, what a pretty name. I am Jacqui and that is Andrea." She told me pointing to the blonde lady who smiled slightly. "The Asian boy is Glenn, T-Dog is the one I sent to get food, Morales was the one that just went to get supplies, and the one that just went onto the roof is Merle."

I just nodded.

"Back at our camp we have more people. We even have a few that are around your age." Andrea told me. "My younger sister is there too."

This got my attention. There were more people alive like them. "How many people are there?"

"I would say at least twenty, maybe more." Jacqui told me smiling a bit.

"Do you think my uncle might still be alive?" I asked them after a few moments of silence.

They didn't answer me right away, but I can tell by the looks of their faces that they had their doubts.

"Well I'm sure there is a very strong possibility he is still alive. Maybe he will find our group on the outskirts of the city and you will be able to see him again." Andrea said trying to make me feel better.

"You don't have to lie to me." I tell her. "If he was alive he would have came back for me, but he didn't."

"Maybe he did come back. Maybe he is at your home now looking for you." Jacqui encouraged.

"Maybe he is." I said sounding a little more hopeful. "Hey do you think we can slip past the walkers to check and see if he is there? It is only a block away from here."

"Oh, I don't know, baby, it's gotten even worse in the city then when we were here last. It will be hard to go by unnoticed."

"Not if Glenn goes with her. He has got us here so far without being noticed." Andrea said.

"Your right, maybe she and he can slip by unnoticed, but it's still very risky."

"If my uncle is alive it will be worth the risk." I said.

"Alright, how about we talk to Glenn about it when he gets back?" Jacqui said.

"Okay." I said smiling a little.

Just then T-Dog and Glenn walked in carrying a few bags of chips and other snacks and a few bottles of water and soda.

"We found some vending machines, but that's all we found." Glenn said setting down the stuff by our feet and taking a seat next to Andrea. T-Dog sat down as well and they began opening some of the bags and eating them. Jacqui handed me a bag of cookies and grabbed a bag of Doritos for herself. Andrea grabbed one of the bags of chips too and began eating.

I opened the bag of cookies and began eating slowly.

"We believe there might still be a chance that Erin's uncle might still be alive." Jacqui told the men.

"Is that what her name is?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah. We were wondering if you and her can swing by her apartment and see if he came back." Andrea said grabbing a bottle of coke.

"No way, it's way too dangerous. Didn't you see all those walkers?" Glenn told us.

"Yes we know, but her apartment is only a block away and you can probably slip through a few alley ways to get there." Jacqui told him.

"I don't know. It's still too risky and it's getting dark." He replied.

"I will go with you guys." Andrea told us. "and we don't have to go tonight; we can wait till tomorrow."

"Alright fine." Glenn agreed. "But it is better if just two people go. It will be easier to slip by them." Andrea nodded.

"Did you people decide to have a dinner party without inviting me?" Merle said walking in with a smirk on his face. "Y'all better learn some manners one of these days."

"Sorry, we just got here." Glenn told him. Merle walked passed him and grabbed a bag of Lays and a bottle of water and went back to the roof without saying another word.

Then Morales came back carrying some jackets. "This is a clothing store; not much useful things in here besides jackets and vending machines." He set the jackets down on the floor and grabbed a bag of chips and a bottle of Pepsi.

"What would happen to me if we can't find my uncle?" I asked them.

No one answered at first, but then Andrea spoke up. "Well you can come back with us to our camp on the outskirts of the city. You will fit right in with us. The kids there are really friendly and fun to be around."

I smiled and nodded. "I think I would like that. How many kids are there?"

"There's four; two boys and two girls, all very close to your age." Jacqui told me.

"I think we should get some sleep, I'm tired." Morales said lying down on some jackets.

The others grabbed some jackets as well and laid down on them. Andrea handed me a few and I took them and laid them on the floor, just like everyone else was doing. I put my gun back in the backpack and took out my knife just in case something happens while I was sleeping. I lay down on the jackets with the knife clutched to my chest. It didn't take long before I was asleep.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it hasn't gotten too exciting yet, but it will, and soon Erin will run into a certain former police officer, and also meet the rest of the Atlanta crew.**


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Three**

I felt something shaking me. I quickly sat up and held my knife out ready to defend myself from whatever it was.

"Whoa!" Glenn said stumbling back. "I was just trying to wake you up so we can get our supplies together to go back to your apartment."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You just startled me." I said standing up.

"It's alright. Come on, let's go get the stuff." He told me. I grabbed my bag and followed him, carefully stepping over everyone else who was still sleeping. He led me to a room with nothing in it but a table with the supplies on it. We grabbed what we thought we needed and put it in our backpacks.

"Now where is your apartment again?" Glenn asked me as we continued to pack stuff.

"It's a block away. I will show you when we are outside." I answered.

"Okay, let's go then."

We grabbed our stuff and went up the stairs to the roof.

"My apartment is there." I said pointing at the building.

"Oh I know that place; I used to deliver pizzas there every Fri-"

"Friday night." I finished for him. "Yeah that was my place. I knew I recognized you."

"Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing you sometimes on Fridays."

"Yup, that was me." I said smiling a little.

"Okay we can probably slip through that alley way down there and go about unnoticed if we are quiet." Glenn said pointing down an alley way that lead to a back door of the apartment building.

"Alright."

We climbed down the ladder to the ground and ran quietly through the alley way, careful not to attract any unwanted company. Soon we reached the back door to the apartment building. I reached out and grabbed the handle.

"Wait! Walkers can be behind that door." Glenn whispered stopping me.

"Do you have a knife or something?" I asked him.

"Yeah, in my bag." He pulled out his knife and got ready to attack anything that would exit the door.

"On three?" I asked.

Glenn nodded and I counted down to three and turned the door handle.

"Dang, it's locked." I told him. "We have to go around to the front."

"To the front, are you kidding me? There're walkers everywhere in the streets." Glenn told me.

"Well I guess we can try the fire escape." I said.

"Yeah, that would probably be safer." He replied.

I led him to the fire escape and he lifted me up onto it and then himself.

"What floor do you live on again?"

"Forty-five."

"Alright."

We continued climbing up the fire escape until we reached my floor. Glenn broke the window and we climbed into the building. I opened the door to my apartment and slowly walked inside.

"Uncle Sam?" I called out quietly. "Are you in here?"

The room looked the same as how I left it. I went into his bedroom.

"Uncle Same?"

Still no sign of him. I checked my room as well, but there was no one.

"Well I guess he isn't here." Glenn said. "I'm sorry."

"There still might be a chance he's alive. I mean he could've barricaded himself in a safe room at the hospital and I just didn't see. We need to go back there."

"The hospital is like a whole mile away! The walkers would catch us."

"No they won't. I made it there safely the first time and didn't see any zombies on the way there."

"But haven't you realized that there's a lot more out there now?"

"I know, but we will be alright. Come on please? I know that the chance of my uncle being alive is slim, but if there is any chance that he is alive I need to find out. After the hospital we can go back." I pleaded with him.

"Alright fine, but the hospital is the last place we are stopping." He told me.

"Thanks!" I said smiling.

"We need to stick to the alley ways as much as possible though, to avoid being seen." Glenn pulled out a walkie-talkie that he packed in his bag. "It's Glenn; Erin's uncle wasn't at the apartment. We are going to take another look in the hospital."

"_Alright, but be careful."_ Morales voice spoke back.

We climbed down the stairs instead of going back down the fire escape. We reached the bottom and unlocked the back door and went out that way. We walked quickly toward the hospital, trying are best not to attract any walkers. We were doing pretty good at not being seen until we ran into two walkers in one of the alleys. Glenn took his knife and stabbed one in the head. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me along quickly to get away from the other, but the nose the walkers had made seem to have attracted all the other ones in the street.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Glenn as we ran.

"We may have to make a small detour." He told me pulling me into the back of the ice cream shop that my uncle would sometimes take me to. He locked the back door, which was fortunately made of metal. We could hear the walkers pound on it from the outside. It didn't take long for the walkers from the front to realize we were here too and they came crashing through the glass doors.

"Quick in here!" Glenn shouted with the freezer door open. I ran inside and he locked the door from the inside. The walkers began pounding on the freezer door as well. I stood there shaking from what just happened.

"Are you okay?" Glenn asked sounding like he was trying to calm down from what just happened as well.

"Yeah, I'm alright, you?"

"I'm fine, but I knew we should've just gone back. Now we're trapped in here."

"I'm sorry, but it's not like they can wait there forever. They will probably be gone by the morning."

"I guess that's true. They will forget all about us in here after awhile." Glenn said sitting down on the freezer ground. "We'll leave in the morning and head to the hospital from here." He pulled his walkie-talkie from the bag and told the others that we were going to be delayed a bit because of what happened.

"Alright, what are we going to do in here for the time being?" I asked he was finished talking.

"Eat ice cream." Glenn said grabbing one of the tubs of ice cream that was in the freezer.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked unsure if he was actually serious about eating ice cream.

"Not really." He said opening the lid of tub and using his finger to scoop out a small bit of vanilla ice cream.

I stood there staring at him.

"Well, don't you want any?" he asked.

"I'm not really hungry." I said glancing away from him and taking a seat on the freezer floor.

"Suit yourself." He said continuing to eat the ice cream.

"Is this really happening?" I asked after several moments of silence.

Glenn stopped eating ice cream and looked up at me. Then he answered. "Unfortunately, yeah. This is really happening." He placed the lid back on the ice cream.

"So, it's real? Not just a bad dream?" I asked.

"It's real." He answers sadly.

"It's all happening so fast. Just two nights ago I was with my uncle watching a movie and now my uncle, is missing and presumed dead." I said.

"I'm sorry." Glenn said sadly.

"It's not your fault. Will the group be worried if we are gone all night?" I asked.

"Yeah, but there isn't much we can do about it now." Glenn told me. "Besides, I did tell them what happened and that we are safe for now."

"Yeah." I answered looking down at the ground.

_(Back with the Atlanta group. Carl's Pov.)_

"Carl? Carl where are you?" My mom called me sounding worried.

"I'm just over here, mom." I answered. I was sitting on a rock behind some trees playing with strands of grass. I had been thinking about my dad and how I was probably not going to ever be able to see him again. It made it feel like someone was ripping at my chest.

"Carl, you have to always stay within my sight. You can't keep running off to where I can't see you anymore. You had me worried." She said sitting down beside me and putting a hand on my arm.

"Sorry." I said simply.

"What are you doing over here anyway?" she asked me.

"Thinking about Dad." I answered. I felt my eyes begin to water up, so I turned away hoping that my mom wouldn't notice. I was trying to be strong for her and not cry anymore, but it was still very hard.

My mom stood up and pulled me into a hug. "It will be alright." She said trying to comfort me. "I know it hurts now, but soon it won't be as hard. We will get through this."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears began to fall from my eyes and I started crying.

"Shhh. It's okay, love." My mom said rubbing my back. After a few minutes, I stopped crying. My mom wiped the remaining tears from my face and kissed my forehead.

"Are you ready to go back to the rest of the group?" she asked me.

I nodded and we began to walk back to the others.

_(Back in the freezer, the next morning. Erin's Pov.)_

"Glenn, wake up." I was shaking Glenn to wake him up.

"Huh…what?" he asked groggily.

"I think its morning, we need to get moving."I said already ready to go.

"Right." He said getting up.

I handed him his back pack. He took it and walked up to the freezer door and put his ear close to it to listen if any walkers were right outside. He put his finger to his lips warning me to be quiet. I nodded and he slowly opened the freezer door and stepped outside. Luckily, there were no walkers outside the freezer door. We walked to the back door we came in from and walked out into the alley.

We began to make are way to the hospital. When we made it, it looked the same as when I left it. Nothing had changed. We went inside and began to look around a little. The hospital smelt worse than the last time I was there. It reeked of decaying flesh. The smell made my eyes water.

I turned a corner and then I saw him; my uncle. He was lying lifeless on the floor with part of his guts spilling out. I stood there paralyzed in shock of what I saw.

"Erin?" Glenn called for me as he rounded the corner. I snapped out of shock when he said my name and ran to my uncle.

"Uncle Sam? It's me, Erin. Can you hear me?" I asked even though deep inside me I knew he was gone. I shakily felt his neck for a pulse and of course there was nothing.

"Oh my...Is that….?" Glenn kneels down beside me and put a hand on my back.

I started crying and I put my hand on what was left of my uncle's chest. It was moving.

"Uncle Sam?" I said to him. He opened his eyes and stared at me, but his eyes were not like they use to be. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed my arm and I screamed. Glenn yanked my arm away from his grip and pulled me back.

"It's not your uncle any more. He's one of them." Glenn told me holding me back.

The walker got up slowly and began coming at us. We ran out of the hospital and out of sight of the walker and stopped to catch our breath. We were both shaking out of fright.

"That was too close." Glenn said still shaking. "Are you alright." He asked me gently.

After a few moments I said, "Yeah, I'm alright, but we can't just leave him here like this."

"What are you suggesting?" Glenn asked me.

"We need to put him down, for good." I said.

"Well, I guess I can go and there and take care_" Glenn started to say

"No, he is my uncle. I will do it." I said firmly.

"Are…..are you sure?" Glenn asked me.

I replied with a nod and slowly walked towards the building with Glenn following close behind. I stopped before entering the building.

"How do I kill him?" I asked. "How do I kill a walker?"

"You got to take them out by the head." Glenn answered quietly.

"Alright." I replied. "I'm going to shoot him."

"Okay." Glenn stayed outside and I pulled out my gun from my bag and went to where my uncle was. He began to come towards me again but this time I aimed my gun and shot him in the head. His body fell lifeless to the floor. I walked over to his body and got one last look at him before walking back out to Glenn.

"That gunshot will probably attract more walkers so we need to hurry." Glenn told me.

"Okay let's go." I replied and we began to jog our way back to the others. We used the alley ways, like we did to get to the hospital, to avoid walkers. There were a lot more in the streets than there were yesterday.

"Okay we need to stop for a bit." Glenn said out of breath. We were almost back anyway so wouldn't be a big deal if we stopped. "Let's take a rest in that building." He told me pointing at an old abandoned building.

"Alright." I agreed and we went inside the building. Luckily there weren't any walkers inside, so we didn't have to be too concerned at the moment. We climbed to the top floor to get a better view of the streets. They were swarmed with walkers. We saw an army tank a few blocks down the street from the building.

"They took out the army too." I said surprised.

"Yeah, freaky."Glenn replied as we stared at the surroundings in awe.

"Wait, what's that?" I asked pointing at the other end of the street. There was something that didn't look like walkers coming towards out direction.

"I….don't know." Glenn replied. "It kind of looks like a horse."

"Your right….and there is a man on it."

Glenn nodded then looked to the direction the person was heading.

"Where does he think he's going? There is nothing left in the city."I said.

"I have no idea, but he is heading towards a huge group of walkers." Glenn told me.

"Do you think we should do something?" I asked.

Glenn didn't answer me and continued to watch the man head down the street towards the tank. The man seemed to have noticed the big group of walkers and turned his horse the opposite direction and began galloping away, but didn't take long before he realized there was even more walkers on the street he was intending to get away on. He was trapped.

"Well?" I asked Glenn, waiting for a response.

"We need to get to the roof." Glenn replied. We got on the roof and we saw that some of the walkers had taken down the horse. The man, however, was still alive and began going trigger-happy on the others.

"What does this guy think he's doing?" I asked quietly.

"Surviving." Glenn replied. "Well….attempting. Either that, or playing Rambo."

The man crawled under the tank with the walkers following close behind him.

"Oh no, he's trapped now." I said sadly looking away.

"Wait no! He made it in the tank!" Glenn shouted.

"What? How?" I asked looking back.

"He crawled in through the bottom!" Glenn said excitedly.

The walkers that were not already feeding on the horse were now banging on the side of the tank.

"He should close the top before the walkers notice it's open." I said.

Then we heard another gunshot. A few seconds later he must have realized the hatch was open and closed it just as the walkers were beginning to climb on top of it.

"Well now what is he going to do, now that he is trapped in a tank surrounded by walkers?"

"I have an idea." Glenn said heading back down off the rood. I followed him to see what his idea was. He climbed down the stairs to the bottom floor of the building and grabbed his walkie-talkie out of his bag.

"Don't tanks usually have radio transmitters in them, or like intercoms?" Glenn asked me.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied.

"Good." He said. He made a few adjustments to the walkie-talkie and then started speaking through it. "Hey, you? Yeah you in the tank. Feeling cozy in there?"


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Four**

_(Atlanta group. Carl's Pov.)_

I was sitting on the ground fidgeting with a toy car I had found when I heard my mom.

"Dale, I'm heading out." She told Dale who was standing on top of his R.V. I looked up at her worried. I didn't like it when she went out because I was afraid of losing her too. Then she turned towards me. "Sweetheart, I want you to stay where Dale can see you, okay?"

I gave her a small nod and replied, "Yes, Mom." I turned bad to the toy car and began fidgeting with it more as my mom walked off. There weren't too many kids around. There were only a few people who were close to my age; Sophia and Morales' kids. They were nice, but all I wanted to do was to just go home and forget this ever happened, but I doubt that would happen. I'm not even sure if I will ever get to go back to my old house anymore. I wish this was just a nightmare and that I would just wake up from at any minute and have my whole family back together. I especially wanted my dad back.

"Hey Carl, what are you doing?" I looked up and saw Sophia hovering over me.

"Nothing." I said putting the toy car down. "Just being bored."

"Want to play a game?" Sophia asked me excitedly.

"Um, sure. What game?" I asked standing up.

Sophia stood quietly for a few moments and pretended like she was thinking when suddenly, "Tag, you're it!" She said and took off running away from me.

I laughed and then took off after her.

_(Back at the abandoned building. Erin's Pov.)_

"Hey, you alive in there?" Glenn continued to talk through the walkie-talkie hoping that the man will reply.

_"Hello? Hello?"_ a frantic voice replied.

Glenn sighed. "There you are. You had me wondering."

_"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" _the voice asked.

"Yeah we can see you. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news." Glenn replied.

"There's good news?" I asked Glenn raising my eyebrows. Glenn shrugged.

"_There's good news?"_ The voice asked.

"No." Glenn replied honestly. I should my head in slight amusement.

_"Listen, whoever you guys are, I don't mind telling you that I'm a little concerned in here."_

"Oh, man, you should see it from over here. You would be having a major freak out." Glenn told him.

_"You got any advice for me?"_ the voice asked.

"Yeah, I would say make a run for it." Glenn told him. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Seriously?" I asked him.

"What choice does the guy have?" Glenn asked me. I nodded realizing that he was right and he didn't really have any other options.

_"Make a run for it? That's all you got?"_ the voice replied.

"My way is not as dumb as it sounds. We have eyes on the outside here. There is one geek still on the tank, but the rest climbed down to join the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?" Glenn told the guy.

_"So far."_

Glenn gave the man directions to meet us at the corner of the alley way beside the fire station which was two blocks away from the tank. He also told him to make what he had left for ammo count. Glenn led me down to the alley he was talking about.

"Climb up there." Glenn said pointing to a ladder on the side of the building that led to a ledge as well as the top of the building. "I will bring him up on here and we can just cross the building and go through the alley to get to ours."

"Okay." I said climbing up to the ledge. Soon I heard a few shots being fired. Glenn walked to the edge of the alley way to wait.

Soon the man rounded the corner and Glenn put his hand up in defense stating that he was not dead and they ran towards the ladder. They climbed up to the ledge I was on and stood there trying to catch their breaths. The walkers flooded into the alley way and surrounded the bottom of the ladder.

"Are you the new sheriff that came to ride in and clean up the town?" Glenn asked sarcastically noticing he was a cop.

"Wasn't my intention." The man told him.

"Yeah whatever. Yeehaw." Glenn replied.

"I'm Rick." The man said holding out his hand.

"Glenn." Glenn shook his hand.

"Erin." I said nodding my head to him.

Then I noticed one of the walkers begin attempting to climb up the ladder.

"I think he should get going." I told them.

Glenn looks down. "Oh no. Well, On the bright side, it would be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass half full kind of guy." Glenn told Rick. I shook my head again in slight amusement as Glenn pulled me toward that ladder and pushed me upward following close behind. Rick followed Glenn and we climbed to the top of the building. We crossed the building to get to ours and opened the door to get inside. We climbed to the bottom and went to the alley where there were four walkers.

Glenn pulled out the walkie-talkie. "We're back, but there are more geeks in the alley."

Two people wearing heavy hockey gear came out with baseball bats and they beat the walkers' heads as we ran inside. As soon as we got inside Andrea put a gun to Rick's head.

"Ease up, Andrea." Morales said taking off the hockey gear after he had come back inside. T-Dog was doing the same.

"Put the gun down." Jacqui told her putting her hands on my shoulders. I set my bag down on the ground beside me.

"Ease up? Are you kidding? We are dead because of him." Andrea said with her gun still pointed at his head.

"Andrea, I said back off." Morales said more firmly. She didn't move. "Or pull the trigger and draw more of them here." Andrea put the gun down.

"Where all dead. All of us because of you." Andrea told Rick shaking her head.

"I don't understand." Rick said confused.

"Look, we came into the city to get supplies." Morales said pulling Rick along. "We are trying to survive and in doing that we are supposed to be sneaking in and out not shooting up the streets making noise." I followed close behind them.

"Every geek from miles around heard you popping off rounds." T-Dog told him pointing outside the two sets of doors to the building.

"You just rang their dinner bell." Andrea said.

I looked at the doors and saw that there were now a bunch of walkers banging on the windows trying to get in. We backed away from the doors a bit. I walked back around the corner to get my back-back because I felt safer with it. Then I hear shots being fired again.

"Guys, what the heck is that?" I called out from around the corner.

"Oh no, was that Dixon?" Andrea murmured and they all began to rush upstairs to the roof.

"Come on let's go." Glenn told me urging me up the stairs with them. We got to the roof and sure enough Merle was up on a ledge shooting a rifle.

"Hey Dixon, are you crazy?" Morales shouted at him.

He just laughed and continued shooting. "You got to be more polite to a man with a gun." he said jumping down from the ledge.

"Man, you're wasting ammo we don't even got!" T-Dog said running towards him. "Just chill."

"You think I'm going to take orders from you? I don't think so." Merle said getting closer to T-Dog. They continued arguing. Rick looked at Glenn and Glenn just shook his head and put his hands up.

Then Merle said something and T-Dog threw a punch, but missed and got smacked in the face with the butt of the gun Merle was carrying.

"Hey that's enough." Rick said walking up behind Merle. Merle threw a punch at T-Dog and then punched Rick knocking him down. He set the rifle down, and then continued beating on T-Dog, ignoring the other's protests to stop. Morales tried pulling him off, but only got hit in the gut. Rick was still trying to recover. Merle than pulled out a gun and aimed it at T-Dog's head.

"Oh no no, please." Andrea pleaded with Merle.

Merle looked around for awhile then looked back at T-Dog and spit on his chest.

"Now let's talk about who's in charge." He said standing up still holding the gun. "Democracy time. Let's do a show of hands for all in favor of me in charge."

The others went to T-Dog to try to help him and were not sure about what to do with what Merle was saying. One by one the slowly began to raise their hands, but me, Rick, and T-Dog.

"Why aren't you raising your hand, little girl? Still haven't learned to respect your elders?" Merle said walking towards me. I began to back away from him, slowly.

"Merle, leave her alone, she is just a child." Jacqui told him.

"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you. Now I suggest you raise your hand before I teach you a lesson in respect young lady." Merle threatened.

"That won't be happening." Rick said from behind. Merle turned to face Rick only to get smacked in his face with the rifle. Rick then handcuffed him and hooked him to a thick pipe that ran along the top of the building. "Look here, Merle. There is only dark meat and light meat now; the dead and the living. If we survive this we are together not apart.

"Screw you, man." Merle said quietly. He was humiliated.

"I see you have a habit of missing the point." Rick told him.

"Yeah, well screw you twice." He replied.

"You got to be more polite to a man with a gun." Rick said holding a gun to his head mocking what he said earlier. I smirked.

"You wouldn't. You're a cop." Merle replied.

"Not anymore. Now I'm just a man trying to find his wife and son and if you get in the way…I'm sure you can figure out the rest." Rick said threateningly. He looked through his pockets and pulled out some type of drug. "Got something on your nose there." He said flicking his nose. I giggled quietly.

"Hah, what are you going to do, arrest me?" Merle asked sarcastically. Rick through the drug off the roof. "Hey, what are you doing? That's my stuff! Hey!" he yelled as he struggled against the hand cuffs as Rick and the others walked away.

"Take it easy, elder. We wouldn't want you to strain yourself." I said as I walked passed him to join the others. The others were discussing the condition of the city and how they were going to get out. The next thing I know we were all heading down to the basement to a drainage pipe to see if that would be a safe way out. I zoned out looking down at the tunnel.

"Erin will come down with me." I heard Glenn say. I snapped out of my trance and looked at him. "She's small enough for us to both get out quickly if we needed and also we are both used to getting in and out of situations together due to the last several hours. Jacqui, Morales, if something happens yell down to us and get us back up in a hurry."

"Alright." Jacqui replied.

Glenn grabbed his flashlight and began climbing down the ladder. I followed close behind him. We reached the bottom and jumped onto the wet ground. Glenn shined his flash light down the tunnel as we began to walk deeper inside. Many pipes ran along the outside of the wall. A rat squealed causing both Glenn and I to jump. We shook it off and continued down the tunnel until we reached bars that kept us from going farther.

"Now what?" I asked Glenn.

"Do you think we can cut through it?" Glenn asked me.

"If we had the right tools, sure." I replied. Then we heard groaning noises. Glenn shined his flashlight towards the noise to reveal a walker chewing on a rat. We gasped. The walker heard us and turned towards us. It lunged at us through the bars. I pulled Glenn away from the bars so he wouldn't get grabbed.

"That was close." Glenn said sounding a bit panicked.

"Too close."

"Let's go back up." Glenn told me and we headed our way back through the tunnel. We climbed back up the ladder and ran to where Rick and Andrea were. We then realized that the walkers had broken through the first set of doors to the building.

"That's not good." I mumbled.

"What did you find down there?" Rick asked us.

"It's not a way out." Glenn replied.

"We need to find a way." Andrea said getting worried as we watched the walkers pound on the last barrier that was keeping them out.

"She's right. Those doors aren't going to hold much longer." I told the others. We headed back to the roof to look to see if there was any possible way to get out.

"There's a construction site over there. They always keep the keys in the vehicles. If we can get to it we can drive are way out of here." Rick suggested.

"You will never make it passed the walkers." Morales said looking down at the walkers that infested the streets.

"Glenn got me out of the tank." Rick told them.

"Yeah, but they were distracted with the horse." Glenn replied

"Could we give them a different distraction?" Rick asked. They continued to think of a plan to get passed the walkers and to the construction site. I walked along the top edge of the building looking down at all the walkers. It would be a miracle to be able to get passed them.

"I have an idea. It's crazy but it just might work." I heard Rick say. I glanced up to see the others following him down the stairs.

"Why don't you stay here and keep good o' Merle some company. Maybe you can even be a good girl and help me get out of these cuffs." Merle called out to me.

"I'm sure you would like that." I mumbled to him.

"More than you would know, little lady. Now why don't you make your daddy proud and hand me those tools over there." He told me pointing at a bag of tools nearby sitting up on a ledge.

"Not a chance, old man." I told him.

"Kids these days; no respect for their elders." Merle mumbled under his breath and I began to walk down the stairs to join the others. When I found them they were in a room standing around a dead walker wearing gloves and extra clothing. Rick was holding an axe.

"Stay back, sweetie. You may not want to be in here for this." Jacque warned me.

"What's going on?" I asked them eyeing the dead walker than looking back at them.

"We need to…..smell like them….to get passed them." Glenn told me looking sick.

"How are you….oh." I realized what they were about to do and put my hand over my mouth to avoid being sick. "Your right. I don't want to be here for this." I told Jacqui as I walked out of the room. Soon I heard them hacking the walker to pieces. I cringed and walked to the clothing part of the store.

I realized that I hadn't packed any clothes and I wouldn't be going back to my apartment to get any. I began looking through the clothes in the store. All the clothes in the store were too big because everything was for adults, but I still grabbed some. I would grow into them eventually and it's alright if the clothes were a little big. I put the clothes in my bag and walked back to the others to see Rick and Glenn covered in guts. I gagged and turned the other way.

"Hey, at least you don't have to wear it." Glenn said to me sounding sick himself.

"If we make it back be ready." Rick told us. I look at him and nodded.

"What about Dixon?" T-Dog asked.

Rick tossed him the key to the cuffs. "Give me the axe. We need more guts." Rick told the others and he hacked away at the dead walker.

I turned back around again and gagged a bit more. The others then began to smother more guts on Rick and Glenn.

"Alright let's go." Rick told Glenn and the others watched as the two exited through the back door carrying the axe and a crow bar. Now all we can do is pray that they would make it passed the walkers and come back with a vehicle for usto get away.

**A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for reviewing, following, and favoriting my story. I am glad you enjoy it. :D I have actually finished the whole story and just have yet to upload it all. I'm currently working on the sequel to this story and will probably be uploading it soon too after I finish uploading this one. :D**


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Five**

We watched from the roof as Rick and Glenn made their way through the walkers towards the construction site. Rick's plan seemed to be working because they had not yet been chewed to pieces. Then we heard thunder.

"That can't be good." I said looking at the others with concern. "If it rains, do you think it would wipe the walker scent off them?"

"Let's hope not." Jacqui replied.

_(Atlanta group. Carl's Pov.) _

Since my dad's been gone, Shane has been spending a lot of time with me. Right now he was sitting on the rock beside me trying to teach me how to tie knots. I enjoy his company. He is fun to be around and it helps me forget about my dad. Then we hear the radio go off with someone's voice on the other end. Shane got up and walked over to the radio. The voice was T-Dog's.

_"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"_ I heard him speak through the radio.

"Hello? Reception is bad on this end, but we can hear you." Dale replied holding the walkie-talkie.

_"Shane, is that you?"_ T-Dog asked.

"Is that them?" Mom asked Dale. He responded by holding up a finger.

_"We are trapped in the department store. There are walkers everywhere; hundreds of them. We are surrounded."_ T-Dog said. Then we lost connection. Everyone looked around at each other worried. Then we heard thunder.

"He said the department store." Mom said.

"That's what I heard to." Dale replied.

"We got to go and help them." I spoke up. My mom was thinking the same thing and was looking at Shane for a response.

"No, we can't risk the rest of the group. It's too dangerous." Shane replied.

"So we are just going to leave her there?" Amy said referring to her sister Andrea.

"She knew the risk. Now there is nothing we can do." Shane replied sadly.

Amy walked away angry and my mom was turned to walk away to. I could tell she was frustrated and wanted to help the others. Shane sadly put his hand on my head and we began to walk after my mom.

_(Back at department building. Erin's Pov.)_

"Dang it, we lost connection!" T-Dog said banging his fist on the ground.

"Don't worry if Rick's plan works, we will be back with them soon." Jacqui told him.

"But what if it doesn't?" Andrea said getting frustrated and nervous.

"It's working so far." Jacqui told her. "They are already half way there."

We looked down at where they were and saw that she was right. I felt a little more hope inside of me, but it didn't last long because it started to pour.

"Oh no…" Andrea muttered nervously.

I looked at the two on the street, anxiety beginning to replace the hope that was left. Walkers surrounded them and the guts would soon be starting to wash off. The others took turns with the binoculars to check on the two every once in a while. They seemed alright for now, but that wouldn't last long.

My hair began to stick to my face as the rain continued to pour down. I opened my bag and grabbed a hair tie that must have been in the bag from earlier because I didn't remember packing it. I pulled my wet hair back and out of my face and tied it into a bun.

Rick and Glenn continued to walk through the herd of walkers. Luckily the smell hadn't been wiped off them quite yet. The anxiety in my chest began to build.

"Maybe the rain cloud will pass over really quickly." Morales said trying to stay hopeful.

Then I saw a walker run at Rick, but he was quicker and smashed his head with the axe. They started running followed by the big group of walkers. They used the axe and crow bar to beat any that got too close.

"Come on, come on, come on." Morales pleaded under his breath. "Yes, they're almost there!"

I saw them leap the fence to the construction site and felt the hope come back.

"They made it!" I yelled.

"Go down stairs and wait for us down there." Jacqui instructed. I nodded and headed for the stairs.

"Holy….the walkers took down the fence." I heard Morales say as. I stopped and turned back towards them nervous. Jacqui gestured for me to continue down the stairs. I turned back towards the stairs and began climbing down with my back pack strapped to my back. I saw Jacqui, Andrea, and Morales come down the stairs carrying their bags.

"To the garage!" Morales said pushing me on forward with the others following.

"Where is T-Dog and Merle?" I asked them as we reached the garage.

"They're coming." Andrea told me as she and Jacqui grabbed the chains that opened the garage door so that they were ready for when Rick and Glenn came back. Then we heard a loud car siren. It got closer till it sounded like it was right outside and then it began to get farther away.

"What are they doing? They're going to draw more of them here!" Andrea said panicking a little.

"The walkers broke through!" T-Dog said as he came running in. Then we heard a knock at the door and they pulled the chains opening the garage door. Rick was standing there with a small moving truck. We throw our bags into the back of the vehicle and climb in. I jumped in the passenger seat next to Rick as he began to drive off. Morales shut the back of the moving truck and they all sat back and sighed out of relief.

"We made it. We made it." I said trying to catch my breath. Then I put my hand on Rick's shoulder. "Thank-you." Rick nodded in reply. I looked in the back and noticed Merle wasn't there and neither was Glenn.

"Where is…." I started to ask but I was interrupted by T-Dog saying that he dropped the key. "What about Glenn?" I turned towards Rick.

"He's…" Before Rick could finish answering we heard the car siren that we had heard earlier. I looked out the window and saw a red dodge challenger with Glenn driving it. He looked thrilled and was cheering happily as passed us up and went ahead.

"I think he's fine." Rick finished as he chuckled a little. I laughed a bit too. We continued to drive away from the city. I hope that I never have to go back there again.

"You are like a miracle." I told him.

"A miracle, huh? He asked me chuckling a little more.

"Yeah. You've been in so many close encounters, in which other normal people probably wouldn't have survived, and then you survive every one of them." I said beaming. "Next thing we know you will be finding your missing wife and kid perfectly fine and alive."

"I hope so." Rick said.

"Everything happens for a reason, and it's a miracle you have survived this long. Maybe it's so that you can get back to them to protect them, or protect us." I told him continuing to smile.

"Maybe." Rick said putting his hand on my shoulder. "You remind me of my son, Carl."

I laughed. "How so?"

"Your personality is similar to his. Both of you are very friendly, not shy, always wanting to help." He told me.

"I'm sure you will find them really soon." I told him and looked out the window as we continued down the road.

"So where is your group at?" Rick asked the others in the back.

"It's coming up in a few more miles. Just follow Glenn in." Morales told him.

I was nervous about meeting the rest of the group. I didn't know any of them and the circumstances were not very good ones. I didn't have any more family in the world. I was alone. I guess I can try to become like family to the others, but it won't ever be the same and it would be a bit awkward. I guess Rick doesn't know any of them either so maybe I will stick with him.

_(Atlanta Group. Carl's Pov.)_

"The more you fidget the longer it's going to take, so sit still." My mom told me as she cut my hair. I was not enjoying this at all. Shane was sitting across from us polishing his gun.

"I'm trying." I told her annoyed.

"Well, try harder." Mom told me.

"Think this is bad; just wait till you start shaving. You will be wishing for one of your mom's haircuts." Shane told me laughing.

"I'll believe that when it happens." I said sarcastically.

"I'll tell you what, if you get through this with at least some manly dignity, tomorrow I will teach how to catch frogs." Shane said smirking.

"I've caught a frog before." I told him remembering the time back at school when I had caught a frog and was running around chasing screaming girls with it.

"Frogs, plural. It is an art, my friend, and it is not to be taken lightly." Shane told me. "I can tell you all my secrets to catching frogs."

"So why do we need to catch frogs, plural?" I asked.

"Have you ever eaten frog legs?" he asked me.

"Ewww." I cringed.

"No, Yummm."

"No he's right, ewww." My mom said sounding disgusted as she continued cutting my hair.

"When you get down to that last can of beans you will be loving those frog legs, lady."

"I doubt that." She said laughing.

"We would be heroes, Carl, and feed these folk. They will be eating Cajun style Kermit legs." Shane said sticking his chest out.

"I rather eat Miss Piggy." My mom mumbled I look back at her with a strange look. "Yes, that came out wrong." Mom said laughing, facing my head back towards the front so that she can continue cutting my hair.

"We will be legends, Carl." Shane continued telling me how amazing we would be if we fed these people frog legs. Then we heard a car alarm blaring loudly and coming closer.

My mom stopped cutting my hair and we stood up to see what was going on. Soon enough a red car came zipping around the corner. Glenn stepped out of the car beaming.

"Holy crap, turn that thing off!" Dale shouted over the siren.

"I don't know how." Glenn said with his hands up. Shane went to the car and opened the hood while the others started booming a bunch of questions at Glenn. Shane turned the siren off as the others continued to ask questions.

Soon we saw another vehicle come around the corner; a small moving truck.

_(Erin's Pov.)_

Rick pulled the moving truck around the corner and we saw a bunch of people with a whole camp site set up around the area. The others in that back bounded out and began happily embracing their families and friends.

"Come on you two. Come meet everybody." Morales said to me and Rick smiling.

Rick and I slowly got out of the truck and got a better view of all the other people around, but one pair in particular caught my eye; a boy about my age and a woman who I assumed to be his mother. The boy was starting to cry out of sadness. I didn't understand, but then he turned towards Rick and his expression on his face turned from sad to surprise and happiness. I turned to Rick and saw his expression turn too. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Rick…?" but before he could reply to me he ran to the pair and hugged and kissed them. "Holy..." I said as realization kicked in. Rick had found his family. "You really are a miracle, Rick Grimes." I said under my breath.

"Oh, guys, this is Erin!" I snapped my head away from Rick and his family and saw Glenn coming towards me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the group. "We found her alone in the city. She's a bold young girl."

Glenn brought me around and introduced me to nearly everyone except Rick's family because they were still too busy hugging each other and being overjoyed. There were a few kids my age. They all seemed to be friendly people. I really hope that I can fit in with them with them all.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Six**

That night some people sat by the fire while others sat with their families by their tents. I felt like the odd ball not knowing anyone in the camp. I hardly knew anyone at all. The person I probably knew the most out of everyone else was Glenn since he spent a whole night helping me find my uncle which I was very thankful for.

I walked over to where some of the people were sitting by the fire and sat down across from Rick, who was telling everyone his story while holding his family close to him.

"Dad, who's that." The boy I assumed to be Carl asked pointing at me.

"That's Erin. She and Glenn helped me get out of a situation back in the city." Rick told him and Carl smiled at me as if to say thank you. I nodded towards them. "I actually don't know too much about you Erin, why don't you tell us your story." Rick told me.

"Well, my story isn't as epic is yours." I told Rick laughing a little.

"Come on, we all are curious about you." Glenn encouraged me.

"Alright, well my name is Erin Johnson, and I'm eleven. My dad was a marine before all this and my mom was a nurse from Brazil. We moved around a lot because of my dad's job, so my mom homeschooled me until they both were killed in a car accident when I was nine. I lived with my uncle in Atlanta ever since and went to a normal school. He was a doctor. When this all started I was at my apartment watching a movie with him when he was called in to work. He didn't tell me why he was called to work and I could sense something was wrong, but he just told me to stay and not leave the apartment. I did what I was told and stayed. I heard sirens going off and explosions. I was terrified and thought we were being attacked by terrorists. I had no idea that the disease had reached Atlanta. I waited there at the apartment for a whole night by myself and my uncle had not returned so decided to head to the hospital because it wasn't too far away. So I packed my back pack and left and when I reached the hospital I found out that the explosions had come from people bombing the hospital. I couldn't find my uncle inside and then I got swarmed by walkers so I ran to the building where you guys found me." I finished.

"Wow, sound's like you've been through a lot for a girl your age." I think the guy's name was Shane who spoke. I was still trying to remember everyone's name.

"Not nearly as much as Rick over here; I swear this man is like a miracle to have survived all that he had." I said laughing.

"Do you think your uncle is still alive?" Carl asked me looking hopeful.

I felt a pang in my chest. "No. He's gone." I said quietly.

"But how do you know?" He asked.

"Glenn and I went back to look for him. I found him back at the hospital as a walker, so I shot him." I replied shakily

Carl frowned looked away sadly noticing that he brought up a subject that made me hurt inside.

"It's okay though." I said trying to sound positive. "He can be with my dad and mom now. He doesn't have to suffer anymore or worry about any walkers." I felt my eyes water up so I got up and walked away from the group so that they wouldn't see me cry. I walked passed a little deeper into the forest and sat down on a rock. I began to cry about my uncle again. Even though I was with all these people, I felt so alone. I began to drift deep into thought about how I would fit in with these people and whether or not they would accept me and take me in as one of their own.

I was so far into my thoughts that I almost didn't hear that someone was walking up behind me. I turned around and held out my knife ready to defend myself against a walker only to find out that it was Carl. He jumped back in surprise at my actions. I dropped the knife to the faced away from him with my knees to my chest and my head in my arms.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were a walker." I said quietly.

"It's fine. I'm sorry I scared you." He told me taking a seat next to me on the rock. I kept my head in my arms and didn't look up at him. "I'm Carl." I nodded my head a little. "I know what it's like to lose someone you care about. I thought I was never going to see my dad again until he came here today. For awhile I just felt so broken." I looked up at him as he continued to talk. "I'm sorry about your uncle and that I brought him up a few minutes ago." He said looking down. I could tell he felt really bad about it.

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know." I told him.

"Here." Carl took his sleeve from his jacket and wiped the tears away from my eyes.

"Thanks." I smiled at him causing him to blush and turn away.

"No problem."

"Anyway, how old are you?" I asked him.

"I just turned twelve a few months ago." He replied.

"Cool. Happy late birthday!" I said laughing.

He laughed too. "Thank you. When is your birthday?"

"December twenty-fourth." I replied.

"Cool, that's coming up in a few months." He said smiling. I nodded smiling back.

_(Carl's Pov.)_

I saw Erin shiver and noticed that she didn't have a jacket. "Are you cold?" I asked her.

"I'm alright." She told me trying to shake it off.

I took my jacket off and put it around her shoulders. I saw my dad do that to my mom before and I asked why because at first I didn't understand. He told me that he wanted to take good care of her because he cared about her a lot and even though I just met Erin, I cared for her because she helped save my dad.

_(Erin's Pov.)_

I looked up at Carl and smiled. No boy from my school would ever do that for me because they were too arrogant and worried about their pride. I thought it was sweet and smiled at him. He blushed again and turned away.

"You didn't have to do that." I told him. "I would've been fine."

"But you were cold and looked like you needed it more than I did." He answered quietly. "Let's head back to the fire. That way we can both stay warm." He told me smiling.

"Alright." I smiled back and followed him back to the group that was sitting around the fire. Carl sat down next to his family and motioned for me to sit down beside him. He leaned against his dad and Rick put his arm around him. One by one people began to retreat to their tents for the night.

"Erin, you can sleep in the R.V. with Andrea and Amy. I have some extra blankets you can use. You can have the couch." The man I recognized as Dale told me standing up.

"Thanks." I said smiling. I handed Carl back his Jacket and followed Dale back to the R.V. I grabbed my back pack that I had left sitting on the ground outside and moved it into the R.V. I set it down next to the couch and sat down. It was a pretty comfortable couch so I would have no trouble sleeping on it. Dale came back carrying a few blankets.

"Here you are. These should keep you warm for the night." He told me handing the blankets to me.

"Thank you." I told him.

"You are quite welcome." He told me smiling. Then he walked back out to the others. I arranged the blankets on the bed so that I would be comfortable and lay down. I had not realized how tired I had been till I laid down. I was out in a matter of minutes.

I woke up the next morning and walked outside to see people around the camp working and doing things. I walked over to Glenn who was watching Dale and Shane take a part the dodge challenger.

"Look at them. They are tearing apart the best ride I've ever had in my life." He told me all depressed.

"I'm sure you will find another car just as awesome." I told him patting him on that back. Rick walked up behind to see what was going on.

"Look at them, vultures; tearing apart the perfect car." Glenn mumbled to him. "Yeah, go on strip it clean." He called to them.

"Sorry, Glenn, but we need the car parts." Dale told him.

"You could've at least let me drive it for a few more days." Glenn mumbled.

"Maybe we will get to steal another one someday." Rick said patting him on the back and walking away. I laughed and turned away. I began to walk around the camp to explore it a bit more.

"Good morning!" I jumped and turned around to see Carl. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you again."

I laughed. "Good morning to you too, and its fine. I'm still just a bit jumpy due to the last few days." Then my stomach made a really loud noise and I covered it in embarrassment. I realized I had not eaten for awhile.

"Are you hungry?" Carl asked laughing at the noise my stomach made and my reaction to it.

"Maybe just a bit." I replied.

"Come on. I'm sure my mom can make something for you." He told me. I nodded and followed him up to where his mom was. "Mom, can you make some breakfast for us?" Carl asked her.

"I believe I can." She smiled. "Would you like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" she asked us.

I nodded quickly.

"Sure." Carl responded. Lori got the bread, peanut butter, and jelly out of a cooler and began making the sandwiches. When she was done, she handed one to both me and Carl.

"Thank you!" I said thankfully and began eating my sandwich quickly.

"Whoa, someone's hungry." Carl said laughing.

I stopped in a middle of a bite and looked up to see both Car and Lori staring at me with an amused look.

"Sorry, I hadn't eaten for a few days." I said wiping my face a beginning to eat again, but more slowly.

"When was the last time you ate?" Lori asked me.

"Three days ago in the department store where the others found me." I replied.

"No wonder your hungry." Carl said.

"Don't worry. I'm alright; just a little hungry that's all." I reassured Lori who looked a bit worried about me.

"After we're done eating would you like to come explore with me in the woods a little?" Carl asked me.

"Sure." I nodded.

Carl's face lit up.

"Don't go too far though. Stay nearby." Lori warned us.

"Yes ma'am." Carl and I both said in unison.

We finished our sandwiches and began heading towards the forest. Before we reached it a blonde headed girl came bounding out.

"Hey Carl." She said smiling. Then she looked at me. "Sorry I don't remember your name."

"I'm Erin." I said smiling.

"Cool, I'm Sophia. What are you guys up to?" she asked us.

"We were just going to go explore the woods a little bit." Carl told her.

"Can I come?" she asked us.

"Sure." I replied.

The three of us went down into the woods. It was pretty. It had been awhile since I had been out of the city and surrounded by wild life. I loved it. I fell behind from the other two as I continued to admire my surroundings. Then I felt someone tap my shoulder so I turn to find no one there. When I face forward I saw that Carl had snuck in front of me and was now facing me holding up a white flower.

"For you, my lady." Carl said attempting to use a foreign accent.

"Why thank you." I said imitating his accent and accepting the flower. I put the flower in my hair. "How do I look?" I said spinning.

"Beautiful." Carl said quietly.

"What?" I asked turning towards him.

"I mean you look stunning, my lady." Picking up the foreign accent again trying to shake off what he had said a few seconds ago and act like it was nothing.

We both laughed and we ran to catch up with Sophia who was playing with something.

"What's that, Sophia?" Carl asked her as we got closer.

She held up a fuzzy brown caterpillar.

"Oh cool!" I said reaching out a finger to touch it. Carl copied my actions and reached out to touch it. Then I heard a strange noise that sounded like smacking. "Hey do you guys hear that?" I asked them.

"Hear what?" Sophia asked setting the caterpillar down.

"That smacking noise." I replied.

"Yeah I hear it." Carl said. "Let's go find where it's coming from." We headed towards the noise and went behind some bushed where we saw a walker feeding on a deer that had arrows stuck in it. I pulled out my knife ready to defend myself and my new friends. Sophia screamed and started running back towards the camp.

Carl started to run and realized that I wasn't following. "What are you doing? Come on." Carl grabbed my arm and began pulling me back.

"We have to kill it." I said pulling away from Carl's grip. "What if it comes to the camp and bites someone?"

"Dad and the others will take care of it, come on." Carl grabbed my hand this time and we began to run back to the rest of the group. "Mom! Dad!" Carl shouted and I saw Rick and a few of the others already heading this direction carrying metal poles and other tools. They must have heard Sophia screaming.

"Carl?" I heard Lori call for him as she ran towards us. Carl let go my hand and ran up to meet his mother who grasped him in a hug. I saw that Sophia had found her mom too and was also hugging her.

"There's a walker over there feeding on a deer." I told them. "I will show you where." I said running back into the forest with a few of the others following behind me. I led them to the walker and the deer. It stood up when it saw us and growled. Rick smacked it in the head with a metal pole and then the others joined in and began beating the walker. They beat it until Dale chopped its head off.

"This is the first one we've had up here." Dale told us. "They never come this far up the mountain."

"Well they're running out of food in the city." Said another man.

Then we heard crackling sounds father in the forest coming closer. We embraced ourselves to fight another walker, but instead of a walker, a man came out from behind the trees carrying a cross bow.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Seven**

The man with the crossbow began to mutter something about how that was his deer the walker had been eating and how he wasn't happy about it. I noticed he looked familiar in a way. He started kicking the walker several times until Dale told him that it wasn't helping anything.

"What do you know about it, old man?" The man said angrily and muttered a bit more as he pulled arrows that he had apparently shot in the deer. The man actually looked a little like my dad. I continued to stare at him after noticing the resemblance. "Who the heck is this?" the man asked the others pointing his arrow at me.

"I'm Erin." I told him not looking away.

"Well, Erin, why don't you take a picture; it'll last longer. Either that or mind your own business." The man told me then he turned back towards the others. "I got some squirrel; 'bout a dozen of 'em. Not much but it will do."

Then I looked down and saw the head of the walker begin to move.

"Guys." I cringed and took a step back

"Come on people, what the heck?" the man said noticing that they hadn't completely killed the walker. He took his crossbow and shot it in the head. "That's not his brain, don't you people know anything?" He yanked out his bow and began to walk back towards camp with the others following.

"That's Daryl, Merle's brother." Glenn whispered to me.

"Merle has a brother?" I asked. Glenn nodded. "I guess I'm not surprised. I can see the resemblance in the attitude."

"Merle!" Daryl called for his brother. "Merle, get out here; I got us some squirrel."

Crud, someone was going to have to tell Daryl that we left him on the roof of the department building. I headed into the R.V. not wanting to be there to see his reaction. I realized that it's been three days since the last time I bathed and felt a little grossed out. I had to get clean. I hate the feeling of being dirty. Maybe Andrea and Amy will have some shampoo and conditioner I can borrow. I walked out of the R.V. and walked over to Amy and Andrea.

"Hey, I was wondering if you had any shampoo and conditioner I can borrow…I hadn't got to bathe for three days." I said cringing a little.

"Of course." Amy said smiling. "In fact we were both about to go down to the cove to clean up ourselves. Why don't you join us?"

"Sure." I replied smiling. Amy grabbed shampoo, conditioner, and a few towels and we began heading down to the cove.

"Wow the water's so blue." I said in awe when we reached the cove.

"I know it's beautiful." Amy replied.

"Let's wash up behind those rocks over there." Andrea suggested. "That way we won't have any peeping toms to worry about."

Amy and I laughed and we made our way over behind the rocks. We stripped our clothes off and Andrea and Amy began wading in the water.

I made my way towards the water. I stuck my foot in and immediately jumped back. "Oh my gosh, the water's freezing!" I yelled to them. "How are you two able to get in that easy?"

"We have gotten used to cold baths." Andrea said laughing at my reaction. They were already completely in. I stared at them shocked. I stepped back into the water and began walking deeper. I cringed at each step and made a girlish squeal every once in a while. I finally got the courage to submerge my head completely in the water. When I emerged I was left shivering. I was freezing.

"I don't think I can ever get use to this." I told them as I walked over to them. Amy laughed at me and swam back towards shore to get the shampoo and conditioner. After putting shampoo into her hair she tossed the bottle to me and I began to scrub shampoo into my hair. It felt good to be getting clean. I washed the shampoo out and swam over and got the conditioner from Amy. When I felt clean enough I swam out and wrapped myself in one of the towels. Soon Amy and Andrea came out and grabbed their own towels. I sat on the ground and shivered more.

Amy and Andrea looked at me funny and laughed. "I get cold easy." I said in response.

"Obviously. I mean why else would you steal Carl's jacket last night." Amy said smirking.

I blushed. "He let me use it." I replied.

"Aww, that's sweet." Andrea said laughing.

I turned away embarrassed and got up to put my clothes on. Andrea and Amy did the same and then we headed back up to camp. I was met by Carl when I reached the top. He looked a little bit sad and worried.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked him concerned then I realized a lack of people. "Where're Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl?"

"They went back to get Merle and more guns." Carl replied as he sat down on the ground.

"Oh." I said sitting down next to him. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about your dad, I mean the guy's amazing. He's survived so much. He even found you guys."

"But now he is leaving again. I had already thought I lost him once, I can't do that again if he doesn't come back." Carl said shakily. I could tell he was about to cry, but was fighting not to.

"He'll come back." I assured him, but tears began to fall down his face. I put my arms around him and pull him into a hug. "It will be alright. He will be back. I know it." I tried to comfort him.

He leaned his head into me as I continued trying to comfort him.

"Thanks Erin." He told me after several minutes and he got up and walked to his tent.

_(Carl's Pov.)_

I felt better after being comforted by Erin. I didn't feel worried anymore. I lay down on my cot, facing the side of the tent. It wasn't long after that I heard my mom walk in.

"Hey, you know I bet they will be just fine." She told me taking a seat next to my cot.

"I'm not worried." I told her. "Are you?" I asked facing her and propping my head up with my hand.

"Yeah, a little." She replied.

"Don't be." I told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Think about it, Mom. Everything that's happened to him so far; nothing has killed him." I told her, saying something similar to what Erin had told me. She smiled and held my hand.

"So what do you think about this new Erin girl?" My mom asked smiling knowingly.

"What do you mean?" I asked her my face heating up a little.

"I mean, what's she like?" my mom asked me.

"She's nice." I replied a bit too quickly.

"Nice, huh?" my mom laughed a little.

"She's been a good friend." I told her. "She is also fun to be around."

"Are you happy she showed up here?" My mom asked me.

"Yeah, she's cool." I replied. I knew I had a small crush on the new girl, but I would never admit that to anyone, at least not yet.

_(Erin's Pov.)_

"If you have any extra clothes with you, I can wash the ones you have on now." I turned to see Carol, Sophia's mom, standing beside me.

"Oh thank you." I got up and changed out of my old clothes and put on some of the new ones I had gotten from the department store. Of course the clothes were too big as I had expected them to be, but there were doable. I walked back out to Carol and handed her my old clothes. She smiled and went down to the cove to clean them along with Andrea, Amy, and Jacqui.

"Hey Erin, want to come down to the cove with Shane and I and go frog hunting?" Carl asked me excitedly.

"Frog hunting?" I asked. Carl nodded quickly and smiled. "Sure." I said smiling back. The three of us headed down to the cove. When we got down there Shane had Carl and I each hold a net while he tried to scare frogs into it. He stood there for what seemed like a long time.

"We're not catching anything." Carl told Shane.

"Yeah, they probably know something's up." He replied referring to the frogs. Shane waded into the water with a bucket. "Let's do it the old fashion way, but you two may get a little wet. I'm going to go after one of them while scaring all the rest towards you two."

"Alright." We said in unison.

"It's time to be bad boys!" Shane yelled. "Well bad boys and bad girl." Carl and I laughed at him. "Now let me see your game faces!" He yelled and made a low growling noise. Carl and I tried to copy his growling noises and put on our "gaming faces". "Okay, are you guys ready?"

"Yeah!" we shouted in unison.

Shane then got really quiet. Then he took the bucket and scooped it in the water a bit more dramatically than needed, causing him to fall over and go under that water. Carl and I started laughing as he began making noises and splashing water towards the net.

"What do you got bad boy, bad girl?" Shane asked as we pulled up our nets.

"Dirt." Carl replied shaking his net out.

"Rocks."I told them holding up my net.

"Oh boy. Now we got to start over." Shane said getting down into the water again. Carl and I laughed at him as he repeated his slashing method like he did earlier.

"Oh, I think I caught one!" I said pulling up my net and sure enough there was a little green frog in it.

"Oh, sweet let me see!" Carl said walking over to me. I pulled out the frog and held it up for Carl to see, but careful not to let it slip out of my hands. "Can I hold it?" He asked.

"Sure." I told him putting the frog into his hands.

"Nice, bad girl caught herself a frog." Shane said clapping his hands. "Way to go."

Carl was handing me back the frog but before he was able to get it back into my hands it jumped out and we lunged for it. Carl ended up tripping on a rock and fell towards me causing us both to fall down into the water. When we emerged we sat in the water stunned at what just happened.

Shane just stood there laughing.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…." Carl started apologizing for knocking me into the water with him but I stopped him.

"No." I said starting to laugh. "This is great." I splashed water at Carl who responded by splashing me back and all three of us got into a huge splashing war. Carl ran and tackled me to the water. I was about to get back at him by flinging mud onto his back, but I was interrupted by the sound of Lori.

"Carl, what did I tell you about not leaving Dale's sight?" she asked him.

"But, Shane said that we can catch frogs and we are having a lot of fun." Carl responded.

"It doesn't matter what Shane says, it matters what I say. Now come on, let's go get you two dried off." Lori urged Carl and I ahead of her and back towards the camp. "I'll be right behind you." She told us staying behind to talk to Shane.

"That was fun." Carl said beaming.

"Yes, that's the most fun I had in days." I replied smiling back.

"You know, out of all the people here, you became my best friend." Carl told me turning towards me.

"I think you're my best friend too." I said in return. I now felt like I fit in. The group had taken me in as one of their own, and they have treated me like family. I was very happy. Before I knew what I was doing I threw my arms around Carl's neck and hugged him. He was surprised but I soon felt him hugging me back. "Thanks, Carl."


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Eight**

"Erin, wake up." I felt someone shaking me and slowly opened my eyes to see Carl leaning over me. "Good morning. Mom made eggs for everyone if you're hungry."

"Yum." I said getting up and following Carl out of the R.V. We walked over to where Lori was dishing up eggs for everyone.

"Good morning, Erin." Lori smiled at me. She put some eggs onto a plastic plate for me and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I say smiling back. Lori did the same for Carl and then we sat down on the ground.

"I think it's a good day to start back with some school work." Lori told Carl and me.

"What, why?" Carl asked.

"Because, school is important, and just because the school is closed doesn't mean you can get out of it." Lori told Carl laughing a little.

Carl groaned and I giggled at his reaction.

"You too, Erin." Now it was my turn to groan. "We can start after breakfast. Sophia will being school with us too." Lori told us.

It was a hot day out today, unlike the other days. I could see Andrea and Amy were out fishing in the cove, Dale was keeping look out, and the others were doing their normal chores around the camp. Then I noticed something strange; the man, Jim, was up on a hill just digging. It was really strange and I felt in the pit of my stomach that something wasn't right. Some of the others noticed to and were starting to get a little concerned for him.

"Are you ready to start, Erin?" I snapped my attention away from Jim, to see Lori, Carol, Carl, and Sophia standing behind me carrying some school books.

"I guess so." I moaned a little. I got up and followed them over to a flat rock. They set the books on the rock and we all took a seat on the ground, but before we could start, Andrea and Amy came back carrying a bunch of fish.

"Dang." I said under my breath. Everyone looked at them with awe.

"Ladies, because of you, my children will eat tonight." Morales said happily. "Thank you."

"Thank Dale." Andrea told him. "It's his canoe and gear."

"Erin, look at all the fish." Carl said running over to touch one. I followed him, wanting to touch the fish too.

"Where did you two learn how to catch fish, like that?" Lori asked.

"Our Dad." Amy replied. "He was a fishing fanatic."

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Carl asked.

"Me too?" I asked as well.

"Sure! We will teach you all about nail knots and stuff." Amy said smirking at Andrea. "If that's okay." She asked looking at Lori.

"You won't find me arguing." Lori said laughing.

Then we saw Dale walking over with concern on his face. "I don't want to alarm anyone, but we may have a bit of a problem." He told us pointing up to where Jim was digging.

"Yeah, maybe we should go check on him." Shane said standing up. We followed him up the hill to where Jim was. He had dug quite a few holes, just the right size to fit a body in each. He looked really hot and dehydrated. I notice Carl and Sophia tense up a bit when they saw.

"Hey, Jim?" Shane said to him calmly. Jim continued to dig, paying no attention to him. "Why don't you just hold up for a minute?"

Jim stopped and looked up at him. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Well, we are just a little concerned for you, that's all." Shane replied.

"Dale says you been out here for hours." Morales told him.

"So?"

"So why are you digging?" Shane asked him. "What, are you heading to China?

"Doesn't matter; I'm not hurting anyone." Jim replied.

"You might be hurting yourself." Dale said. "It's one-hundred degrees out. You can't keep this up like this."

"Sure I can! Watch me!" Jim told him beginning to dig again.

"Jim they're not going to say it so I will. You're scaring people. You're scaring my son and Carol's daughter." Lori told him. Carol put an arm around Sophia and Carl.

"They have nothing to be scared about." Jim told her. "Why don't you people just leave me alone."

"I think you should take a break." Shane told him taking a step closer.

"Or what?" he asked.

"There is no "or what". I'm asking you." Shane replied. "Why don't you tell us why you are digging?" I got that weird feeling at the pit of my stomach again and began walking back down the hill.

"Erin?" Carl asked with concern in his voice as I walked past him. He followed me back. "What's wrong?" he asked me.

"Nothing, I'm alright." I lied turning my head towards the ground.

"You can tell me." He told me softly.

I looked up at him and finally gave in. "It's just, something isn't right." I told him.

"Well yeah….Jim has gone a bit off the deep end." Carl replied.

"It's not just that. I have an uneasy feeling in my stomach like something bad is going to happen." I told him looking back down nervously.

Carl stood there beside me not really knowing how to respond at first, but then he pulled me into a hug. "Don't worry. If anything bad happens, you have me and the rest of the group to protect you."

I began to hug him back. "Thanks. I'm sure it's nothing." I pulled away and smiled.

I saw the others coming down the hill with Shane leading Jim who was now in hand cuffs. Shane led him to a big tree and leaned him up against it.

"Now I'm just going to set you here for now; give you a chance to cool down." Shane told him softly.

"Come on kids, let's finish our school work." Carol said leading Sophia back over to the flat rock. Carl and I followed and we began working on our school work. I finished about an hour later and noticed the other two were still working. I saw Shane walk over to Jim carrying a bucket of water. He grabbed a mug and scooped some water out for him to drink.

"Sorry if I scared your boy and your little girl." Jim called over to Lori and Carol.

"You had sun stroke; nobody is blaming you." Lori assured him.

"You're not scared now, are you?" Jim asked Carl and Sophia.

"No sir." Sophia replied and Carl shook his head.

"Why were you digging the holes?" I asked him.

"I had a reason, but I don't remember." He told us. "Something I dreamt last night." He continued. "You and your dad were in it. You were worried about him." He said to Carl. "You were too." He was talking to me now. "You were…."

"I was what?" I asked when he stopped.

"Nothing, it was just a dream. Nothing to be worried about." He said trying to shake it off.

I walked up to him and kneeled down so that I was face to face with him. "I was what?" I asked in a whisper.

He stared at me several moments before answering. "You were covered in blood." He told me quietly. "I don't remember the rest."

I nodded and quietly walked to the R.V. The strange feeling in my stomach was growing. I just wanted it to go away, but it wouldn't. A few minutes later Carl walked in.

"Hey, what did Jim say to you?" Carl asked.

"Nothing, he just told me he couldn't remember the rest of the dream." I told him. I didn't want to tell him the part of me being covered in blood.

"Oh okay. Do you want to come and clean fish with me, Shane, and Sophia?" He asked excitedly.

"Sure." I replied. He led me to where Sophia and Shane were, who had already started cleaning fish.

"This looks like a good bunch of fish." Shane said chuckling. "We will be eating good sea food tonight."

"It doesn't look as appetizing right now." Sophia said holding up a raw fish.

"Don't you worry; we will cook them up real well and tasty, and it shall be the best fish you have ever eaten!" Shane said dramatically. We all laughed and continued cleaning the fish. Shane gutted them and sliced them up while we rinsed them with water.

When we were done we brought them to Morales who was going to be cooking them. He already had a fire going and had seasoning set out.

"I still can't believe that you remembered to bring seasoning out of all things." Shane told him, patting him on the pack and chuckling slightly.

"Hey, when you used to be a part time chef, you remember things like these. It's essential." Morales said placing strips of fish onto a frying pan. He began to cook them over the fire that he had created. When he would finish with one piece he would give it to someone and then start cooking the next one until everyone had gotten a piece of fish.

It smelt really good, but I just couldn't find my appetite. I still couldn't get that bad feeling out. The anxiety continued to build as it got darker outside.

"Erin, is something wrong?" I looked up and saw Dale standing in front of me. I noticed that everyone had already finished eating and some people were already retreating to their tents. "You hardly touched your fish."

"Something isn't right." I said quietly.

"What?" he asked leaning closer so that he could hear me.

"Something isn't right." I said a little louder.

"What are you talking about? Are you feeling alright?" Dale asked me.

I shook my head. "I'm not very hungry. Here, you can have my fish." I handed him my plate and ran over to the R.V. I pulled my gun out of my bag and ran back out and hid behind some trees. I sat on the ground and began fidgeting with the gun by flipping the safety switch on and off. A few minutes later Shane came around the corner.

"Erin, Dale said that he thinks something is wrong, are you…..where did you get that gun?" He asked me.

"It was my uncles." I replied.

"You shouldn't be carrying that around." Shane told me kneeling down in front of me. "You should probably give it to me, to hold on to it for you."

"Something isn't right." I repeated those same words again.

"Here, why don't_" Shane started but he was interrupted by the sound of screaming. I turned pale and stood up. Shane was already running towards the direction of the screaming. I followed him and saw the horror of what was going on.

Walkers had invaded the camp. I could already see them eating some people. I saw another walker coming towards me and I shot it in the head. I saw some others heading towards Sophia and her mother. I ran towards them and shot them down too.

"Mom!" I could hear Carl shouting but I couldn't see where he was. He sounded terrified.

"Carl?" I called out over all the noise.

I turned towards the R.V. and saw that Amy was being eaten by two walkers. I ran over and shot one of them and then I saw Jim come around from behind me and slam the other in the head with a shovel. The screams of terror continued throughout the camp. I looked around the camp and saw that most of the men were beating the walkers with the tools they had found around camp. Shane and Dale were using their own guns to take out walkers. I realized that we were the only three with guns right now. I started to panic; we couldn't take out all these walkers with just three guns.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shane yelled over to me as he continued to shoot walkers. "You can get killed."

"Would you like it if I stopped shooting?" I asked him sarcastically.

"No, keep shooting." He told me.

I continued to fire at walkers and then I heard other guns being fired. I turned my head in the direction that they were coming from and saw that Rick and the others had returned with the guns. I felt a bit more hopeful as I continued to shoot at the walkers. The walkers were dying a lot more quickly since they returned.

"Kid, behind you!" Daryl warned me pointing a shot gun in my direction. I ducked and he shot a walker that was just about to sink its teeth into me. The walker tumbled on top of me causing its blood to spill out on top of me. Daryl ran up beside me and pulled me up.

"Thanks." I told him quickly.

"Come on." He said pulling me forward to where the others were still shooting walkers. It wasn't much longer until they had killed all the walkers that had invaded the camp. I took some time to look around camp to see the damage that had been done. There was a lot more of our people dead than I had thought. I felt my stomach drop. There were people that I had become friends with the last few days now lying dead and torn apart. I all of a sudden felt even sicker. What if they had gotten Carl? I began to run around the camp and look for Carl.

"Carl? Carl!" I called out for him, but there was no reply. I felt tears begin to fall town my face. "Carl?"

Then I saw him with Rick, Shane, Lori, Sophia, and Carol. I felt relief wash over me, but it didn't last long. I remembered Amy. I ran over to where I saw her last. Andrea was leaning over her crying and stroking her face. Amy wasn't dead yet, but I knew she soon will be. I sunk to my knees and began crying.

"I remember my dream now." I hear Jim say.

All of a sudden I find myself standing up and running away. I wasn't running to anything specifically. I was just running; trying to get away from it all. I reached the forest and kept running. I ran through the forest till I couldn't run anymore and collapsed down crying. I just wanted this all to end.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Nine**

_(Carl's Pov.)_

Erin just took off and ran. She ran off into the forest. Andrea was still hovering over Amy's body, stroking her face.

"Why is she running?" Mom asked no one in particular. "Was she bit? She was covered in blood…."

"No." Daryl spoke up. "Shot a walker and it fell on her."

"Well someone's got to go after her. She's eleven and she shouldn't be out there alone; especially after what just happened." Mom said.

"We can't risk more of the group." Shane told her. "We already lost too many people."

I felt myself start to cry harder than I already had been. "She's my friend."

"And mine too." Sophia said also crying.

"I'm sorry." Shane said kneeling down in front of me. "There's not much we can do."

"Shane, she's just a little girl." Carol told him. "We can't just leave her out in the woods."

"I know we can't leave Erin out in the woods, but Shane is also right; we can't risk anymore people right now. It's dark and it would be hard to track where she went. We will send some people to search for her first thing in the morning."

I felt sad, not being able to do anything. I wanted to go after her, but I knew Mom would never let me. I could try to sneak away to try to run after her, but my mom would never let me out of her sight after what just happened. Then the last person I expected to help spoke up.

"If no one else is going to go after her, then I am." Daryl said strapping his crossbow to his back. "I'm the best tracker here, anyway. I will be able to find her pretty quickly and bring her back."

The others looked at him in surprise. Daryl Dixon was offering to help.

"You sure you want to do this?" Shane asked him.

"I have nothing else better to do." Daryl replied. "Besides, I'm not like you people; I don't leave people behind." He said referring to Merle.

"You know that was not intentional." Rick told him.

"Yeah, whatever." He began heading in the direction that Erin had took off into too.

"Alright we need to start thinking of a plan. It's obvious not safe here anymore." Rick told the group. "But for now, let's start taking care of this."

_(Erin's Pov.)_

I didn't know how long I had been sitting out in the woods, but apparently it had been several hours because the sun was already starting to rise. I had sat there wide awake the whole night, out in the middle of the forest. I couldn't get the sound of people screaming out of my head and the images of some being eaten. We lost so many.

I decided I should go back now. People are probably worried about me. I stood up and I slowly began to make my way back towards the camp. I still had a grip on my gun. I hadn't set it down once since the incident; I was too scared too. Then I heard a twig snap. I turned towards the direction that it came from and aimed my gun, waiting for whatever it was to step out from behind the trees. The person jumped out from behind the corner and aimed a crossbow at me.

"Daryl?" I lowered my gun.

"Where have you been, kid?" he asked my lowering his crossbow "I've been looking for you all night."

"Sorry." I told him.

"You alright? You had people worried by taking off like that." He told me.

I nodded. "I'm fine." I felt bad for causing people to worry about me.

"Come on let's go back." He told me and we started heading back I the direction of the camp.

_(Carl's Pov.) _

I woke up thinking that what had happen last night was all just a bad dream, but when I saw Andrea still sitting over Amy's body I knew that it was real. People were moving the bodies of our people up to where Jim head dug the holes and making sure that they wouldn't come back as walkers. The bodies of the walkers were all to be burned while the bodies of our own people were all going to be buried.

Daryl still hadn't come back with Erin. I began to worry, thinking that she wasn't ever going to come back and that I will never be able to see her again. I felt tears begin to fall down my cheek. My mom was by my side in an instant and pulled me into a hug.

When she pulled away she looked me in the eyes. "Everything is going to be alright; Daryl will find_" The expression on her face changed as she saw something over my shoulder. I turned to see Erin walking out of the forest with Daryl behind her. She looked the same as she did when she took off; still covered in blood and carrying her gun.

I pulled away from my mom and ran to Erin, throwing my arms around her. "I thought I lost you." I whispered in her ear.

She hugged me back. "Don't worry, you're not losing me that easily." She said with a slight smile. "Sorry I had you all worried." She told everyone. Then Sophia came running up and tackled Erin in a hug. Some of the other people came over and also gave her a hug. People also thanked Daryl and patted him on the shoulder for finding her.

"Now don't you go running off again." Dale told her. "You are a part of the group now, and we can't have you go missing again."

Erin smiled at him. "I will try not to, sir."

She glanced over to where Andrea was with Amy's body and frowned.

Mom walked over to Andrea and kneeled down beside her. I think she was trying to tell her that she had to let them take Amy soon. Amy could turn into a walker at any minute, but Andrea wasn't moving or letting anyone take her.

"How many people did we lose?" I heard Erin whisper to me.

"I'm not sure. I know that Amy is gone as well as Sophia's dad. I didn't really know the others too well." I told her.

I saw a tear slip down her face. "So many people; gone in one night. Next time there could be twice as many. What would we do then? It's not safe here."

"It will be alright." I assure her. "My dad will think of something."

"Erin, let's go get you cleaned up." Mom told her.

Erin nodded and followed her down to the cove. I saw her again about an hour later wearing clean close and no longer covered in blood. She walked over to me and smiled.

"I feel better now." She said laughing a little. "I smelt horrible."

"I didn't even notice." I told her laughing as well. "I was too busy being happy to have you back with us."

Erin smiled. "I'm happy to be back too."

"A walker got him. I walker got Jim." Jacqui yelled. We looked over to where Jim who seemed to be nervous.

"Show it to us." Daryl told him. "Show it to us!"

Jim picked up a shovel to defend himself in case anyone tried anything.

"Whoa, put the shovel down." Shane told him.

T-Dog came up from behind him and grabbed his arms while Daryl lifted up his shirt to reveal teeth marks in his side.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Jim sounding like he was assuring himself more than the others. The others looked on at him with sympathy.

My mom walked over to me and Erin and kneeled down in front of us. Why don't you two go over and play in the R.V." she suggested.

"What's going to happen to Jim?" Erin asked her.

"I don't know yet, sweetie." She replied. "But you shouldn't be worried about it. We will think of something."

"Sophia, I want you to go with them." Carol told her daughter. Sophia nodded and the three of us walked into the R.V. We could see the adults discussing on what to do. We sat there in silence for a few minutes before Erin spoke up.

"I'm sorry about your dad." She said quietly to Sophia.

Sophia looked up at her. "It's alright….even though he was my dad….I was terrified of him."

"How come?" Erin asked her, not knowing about Sophia's past.

"He would hit my mom a lot." She said quietly. "He sometimes even hit me too."

"Oh." Erin said looking down.

"Don't worry, you didn't know." Sophia said smiling slightly. "Anyway, last night, how did you do all that?"

"All what?" Erin asked looking back up.

"You didn't look afraid at all and you shot walkers like it was nothing."

"Yeah how did you do that?" I asked her.

"Oh...believe me I was very afraid, but I wasn't afraid of the walkers…..I was afraid of losing people I cared about." She replied quietly.

We went quiet again for several more seconds before I decided to break the silence. "So where did you learn to shoot?"

She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "My dad was a marine. He had me learning how to shoot as soon as I was able to."

All of a sudden Dad came in with Jim and let him sit on the bed. "You will be safe in here for now." He told him. "Carl, you guys can come outside now. Jim is going to rest in here for now." We all exited the R.V. leaving Jim by himself.

_(Erin's Pov.)_

We all stood around where Jim had dug holes to mourn for those we lost. I watched as Andrea carried Amy into one of the holes. I had not seen when Amy had turned and was put down; it must have been when I was washing the blood off of me. Some people were looking on sadly without making any noise while others were crying silently. When it was over people began to head back to the camp. I followed Rick and his family down.

"…..what if it's one of us next time?" Rick asked Lori quietly.

"Shhhh." She told him looking at Carl and then me.

"Are we safe now, Dad; now that we are together?" Carl asked.

Rick kneeled down in front of him. "I won't leave again. I promise you that; not for anything." Carl smiled and nodded. "Now you give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom, okay? Carl nodded and looked back at me wanting me to walk ahead with him. I walked up beside him and we continued walking down the hill.

"Do you think you can teach me to shoot like you?" Carl asked me when we were out of ear shot from his parents.

"I don't think your parents would be too thrilled about the idea." I told him.

"They don't have to know. You can teach me and secret. I would be like the apprentice and you the master."

I laughed. "How will we ever get out of your parents' sight? After what happened last night, they have been watching us like a hawk."

"Maybe we can disguise it somehow, like make it look like something else." He said thinking.

"How can I teach you to use a gun without making it look like I am?" I asked giggling more.

"Maybe we could use Nerf guns or something." He suggested.

Now I was really laughing. "Those aren't much like real guns, but that could work. One question though; how are we going to get Nerf guns?"

"Oh, I brought some." Carl said beaming.

"You brought Nerf guns?" I asked looking at him with an amused look.

Carl shrugged his shoulders. "They're fun."

"Well, alright then. Let's go shoot some Nerf guns." I said smiling. "Hey Sophia, want join us?" I called over to her.

"To do what?" she asked jogging over.

"To shoot some of my Nerf guns." Carl said happily.

"You brought Nerf guns?" she asked with the same amused look on her face that I had a few seconds before.

"Why is that so amusing to you two?" Carl asked looking down embarrassed.

"Because I think it's cute." I said before I realized the words coming out of my mouth.

"Cute , huh?" Carl smiled and looked over to me blushing.

I felt my face heat up and turned away so Carl and Sophia wouldn't notice.

"I think it's cute in a strange sort of way." Sophia said laughing. We all laughed. Carl ran into his tent and pulled out his Nerf guns. There were four in total. He handed one to me, one to Sophia and kept two for himself.

"Let's go do it over here." Carl suggested walking over to an area with not to many bushes. "It would be easier to find the darts over here after we shoot them."

"Alright how about we use that tree as a target; practice aiming." I suggested. The other two nodded and I held up the Nerf gun Carl gave me and shot. The dart fell short of the tree. "Maybe we should move closer."

"What are you guys doing?" We saw Rick walking over with an amused look on his face.

"We are…" I started.

"Shooting Nerf guns." Carl finished smiling.

"I can see that." Rick laughed. "Anyways, Shane and I are going to check the perimeter. Always stay in sight of the others."

"Yes sir." The three of us said in unison. We continued shooting Nerf guns until we got bored, then we went and sat by the others by the fire. Shortly after that, Rick and Shane returned from scouting and sat down with us.

"Now look, I've been thinking about Rick's plan about going to the CDC." Shane told everyone. "Now there're no guarantees either way, but I've known this man a long time; I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is that we need to stay together. Those of you who agree, we leave first thing in the morning."

It sounds like we are going to go to a new place for awhile.


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Ten**

The next morning I had my things packed and ready to go. We were going to be heading out to the CDC in hopes that it was a safer place. Shane was giving instructions to everyone. I walked over and stood between Carl and Sophia.

"Any questions?" Shane asked when he was done.

"We are not going." Morales told the group.

Rick and Shane looked at them confused to why they would want to leave the group.

"We have family in Framingham." Morales wife said. "We want to be with our people."

"If you go on your own you won't have people watching your back." Shane warned.

"We will take that chance." Morales told them. "I have to do what is best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked them.

"We talked about it; we're sure." He replied.

"Alright." Rick walked over and handed Morales a revolver.

Carl looked sad. The Morales family had the only other boy who was his age. Lori got up and hugged Morales wife and kissed their two children. Sophia started crying and ran over and hugged Morales daughter. I never got the chance to really know her, unfortunately, but apparently the two had gotten close. The girl handed Sophia her doll for her to keep. The others said their goodbyes to them as well.

"Channel forty; if you change your minds." Rick told Morales.

Morales nodded and their family began to leave.

"Alright let's go. Let's move out." Shane instructed everyone else. I put my back pack in the back of the truck and got in with Carl, and his family, and Sophia and her mother. Carl sat between his parents in the front and Sophia, Carol, and I sat in the back and we began the long quiet journey to the CDC. About an hour later we had to stop because Dale's R.V. was having problems. We all stepped out of the car and stretched out legs. The men were deciding whether or not to go searching for tools for the R.V.

I walked along the road a ways and looked around. I was careful not to go too far from the group. Carl came along with me as I continued down the road a little ways.

"Hey are you thirsty?" he asked me, holding out a water bottle.

I nodded and accepted the water bottle. I took a few sips and handed back to him. "Thanks."

"No problem." He replied. "Jacqui says Jim has gotten worse. She doesn't think that he will make it much farther." He told me sadly.

"What are they planning on doing with him?" I asked.

"I don't know yet. My dad is talking to him now." Carl told me.

We began to walk back towards the group realizing that we have gone a bit far.

"What do you think the CDC will be like?" I asked Carl looking into the sky.

"Safe from walkers, I hope." Carl told me. "Maybe they will even have beds for us to sleep on."

"That would be nice." I said chuckling.

We walked in silence for a few moments before Carl asked, "What do you miss the most about your old life?"

I took a few minutes to think about it before replying. "I miss my uncle, I miss the movie nights we use to have together every Friday, I miss my bed, and I miss hot water." I told him smiling. "What about you?"

"I miss playing video games, my bed, hot water, and my friends. Don't you miss your friends?" Carl asked me.

"I wasn't ever really good at fitting in." I told him thinking back to what my life was like before. "I mean I had a few, but they were all guys. The girls at my school didn't really like me that much and weren't very nice."

"Maybe because they were just jealous." Carl said smirking.

"Jealous?" I asked laughing. "Of what?"

"Of how awesome and fun you are." Carl told me. We both laughed. "And also they were probably jealous about how pretty you are." Carl said quietly blushing.

I looked over and smiled at him. "You think I'm pretty?" Carl nodded still blushing. "Thanks." I told him. "I think you're pretty good looking yourself." I said tagging him on the shoulder. I then took off running towards the group with Carl chasing me. I stopped suddenly when I saw Jim being led out of the R.V. causing Carl to run into me knocking us both down.

"Sorry." Carl said helping me up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but what are they doing with Jim?" I asked pointing at them.

"Come on, let's go find out." Carl said grabbing my arm and walking over to his mom. "What are they doing with Jim." He asked her.

"Sweet heart, Jim has asked us to leave him behind." His mom told him. "You see he is in a lot of pain. It's hurting him to go on like this."

I felt myself start to cry and I began to run away from the two, but Carl reached out and grabbed my hand stopping me. "It's going to be okay, Erin." he told me starting to cry himself. "It's what he wants." His mom pulled us two into a hug to comfort us. They brought Jim over and leaned him against a tree. One by one people went up to him and said their goodbyes and then it came to be my turn. I walked up to him and kneeled down in front of him.

"I know that I didn't know you very well, but I knew you enough to know that you are a good person." I told him with tears falling down my face. "You didn't deserve any of this, but now you can be with your family and live a better life; a life without fear." I leaned over and hugged him. When I was done, I walked back to the rest of the group. I continued to cry as we drove away from him. Sophia held my hand in hers as we began back on our journey to the CDC.

During the ride I had fallen asleep. I felt myself being shaken awake. I opened my eyes to see Carl.

"We're here, but we got to be quiet." He whispered. I stepped outside the vehicle and realized that the sun had gone down. I grabbed my stuff from the back and pulled my gun out from my bag because I could see dead people lying all over the ground. They could wake up at any minute as a walker.

Carl and I stood close to Rick and Shane as well as the rest of the group as we began walking carefully over to the CDC. The smell was horrible and flies were everywhere, eating away at the dead flesh. We reached some steal drop doors and Rick began knocking on them, hoping that someone will hear them.

"There is nobody here." T-Dog told them.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asked.

"Walkers!" Daryl said pointing his crossbow and shooting at one that had woken up. The others began to get nervous as more began to come. I aimed my gun at the walkers ready to shoot if I needed to.

"Rick, this is a dead end." Shane told him.

"Where are we going to go?" Carol asked.

"She's right; we can't be this close to the city after dark." Lori told them.

The others started arguing on where they were going to go. They started to turn away and run back towards the vehicles.

"Dad!" Carl called for Rick.

"The camera; it moved." Rick said pointing at a camera that was above the drop doors.

Shane tried to talk him into leaving and began pulling him away with the group, but Rick refused and started calling towards the camera. He pulled away from Shane's grip and banged on the door.

"I know you're in there." Rick said. "I know you can hear me. Please, we're desperate. Please help us, we have woman and children and no food, hardly any gas left; we have nowhere else to go.

"Guys." I yelled nervously. More walkers were waking up and heading are way. I didn't want to shoot because I knew that would attract even more walkers. Rick continued to yell towards the camera and people started to panic more. Shane grabbed him and began pulling him away with the rest of the group and we began to run for it, but before we got to far the drop door lifted and we ran inside thankfully. The door closed just in time before the walkers were able to enter. I dropped down on my knees with my adrenalin rushing. That was close.

I looked around and saw no one around but our group. I expected that there would be more people, but I guess not. Then I saw a man standing there holding a rifle and aiming it at us.

"Anybody infected?" the man called out.

"One of the members of our group was." Rick told him. "He didn't make it.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" the man asked. I felt uneasy about this place.

"A chance." Rick told him.

"That's asking for a lot, these days." The man told him

"I know." Rick replied.

The man looked at each of us. When he got to me he stopped and stared at my gun.

"They giving little girls guns now?" he asked.

I looked towards the ground and slowly put my gun in my bag.

"That's her own gun. She's had it from the start and so far hasn't used it in any way that would threaten the group." Rick told him.

"These doors won't open again." The man told us.

Rick nodded. "That's fine with us."

The man nodded back. "You all will each have to summit to a blood test; that's the price of admission. The man led us down an elevator and to a room where he began sitting people down and drawing blood from them. They each introduced themselves when their turn came. I stood behind Carl as I waited my turn. I hated needles. I was terrified of them.

"Erin, you okay." Carl asked me noticing me tense up as we got closer. "You're looking a little pale."

"I don't like needles." I told him. Carl chuckled a little. "What?" I asked him.

You're not too scared of walkers, yet you're terrified of needles?" he asked me.

I looked down embarrassed and nodded.

"Well don't worry about it. It will only last for a few seconds." Carl assured me. "Um…..if you want….I could….hold your hand..." Carl quietly looking down embarrassed that he had just said that.

"Okay." I told him smiling a little. He held out his hand and I took it. It felt warm against my cold hand.

"Okay, your turn, young man." The man told him. Carl sat down in a chair in front of him like the people before him did. "My name is Dr. Jenner."

"Carl." Carl told Jenner his name.

"Okay, Carl, you're going to feel a slight prick, but it will be done with soon." Jenner told him. Carl continued to hold my hand as he had blood drawn from his arm. "There, you're done." The man said smiling slightly. "Okay your turn." Then man told me. I sat down in the seat nervously as the man started talking to me, but I didn't hear anything he said because I was too busy staring at the needle.

"Her name is Erin." Carl told the man for me. "She's a little afraid of needles."

"Don't worry, Erin, I will try to do the whole thing as quick as possible." Jenner told me.

I squeezed Carl's hand hard when the needle punctured my skin and began drawing blood.

"Sorry." I told Carl, lightening my grip on his hand.

"It's fine." He told me smiling.

"Okay, you're all done." Jenner told me smiling.

"Wow that, actually, wasn't that bad." I told Carl. "Thanks." I told him pulling my hand away.

"Anytime." Carl replied.

"Where are all the people?" Rick asked Jenner.

The man looked down sadly. "I'm all that's left."

He then led us all to a cafeteria with a big round table in the middle. He got some food out and some wine and I began to eat while the adults ate and drank wine. They even offered Carl some wine.

Carl took a sip and cringed. "Eww, it tastes nasty."

All the adults laughed at his reaction and continued eating and drinking. The food was the best I've had in a long time. He gave us a good steak dinner with mash potatoes and green beans.

"You should try some of that stuff, Erin, and see how bad it tastes." Carl said holding up the cup that he had tried some in.

I took the cup and took a small sip and gagged right away. "Eww."

Everyone laughed and then Rick stood up and gave a toast to Jenner for helping them. The happiness didn't last long though. Shane started questioning Jenner about the lack of people and Jenner told him a sad story about what had happened. He told us that many of the people had committed suicide before they even made it out the door.

After that he led us to the rooms we would be sleeping in.

"Housing has been shut down to save power, so you guys will have to make due here." He told us pointing to the rooms. "There is a game room that you kids might like, but don't plug in the video games or anything that draws power." He told us and we nodded smiling. "And also go easy on the hot water when you take a shower."

"Hot water?"


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Hey everyone, I am sorry that I haven't updated for awhile. I have been very busy lately, but now I am back with a new chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! ;D **

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Eleven**

I was so happy to step into the shower and feel the warm water run down my body. It felt so good. I wish I could stay in here forever, but I knew I couldn't because the man said to go easy on the hot water and also others were waiting their turns. I quickly washed my hair and body and stepped out letting the next person have their turn, which was Carl.

I walked over to where the man said the game room was. There was an air hockey table, a fuse ball table, board games, comfy couches, and a TV with movies and video games. I wish I could turn the TV on and watch a movie, but I couldn't because it took up power.

I sat down on one of the couches and then Carl walked in. He was wet from taking a shower but had gotten into more comfortable clothes.

"Whoa, this place is cool." Carl said looking around the room and taking a seat next to me.

"I know! I want to sleep in here on one of these couches; it feels so comfy." I said patting the couch.

Carl laughed. "Me too; I get the other couch."

I laughed to and pulled out some board games. "Hey, do you want to play one of these with me?" I asked him.

"Sure, which one?" he asked

"What about Monopoly?" I suggested.

"Sure." He replied. We both sat down and I set up all the pieces for the game. Then we began to play. "I'm happy we are safe now. We don't have to worry about walkers anymore." Carl said smiling at me. "What about you? Are you happy?"

"Yes, I am happy, but…." I started saying, but then stopped.

"But what…?" Carl asked me.

"I don't know, it kind of seems like one of those things that are too good to be true, you know?"

I rolled the dice and moved my piece over six places.

"I guess it kind of seems like that." Carl said. "But I don't want to think like that. I just want to forget for a night about what's going on outside and go back to the way out lives use to be before."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." I told him looking down.

"It's alright, but let's just forget about what's going on outside of this place." He told me rolling the dice and moving eight places.

"Deal." I told him smiling.

"You know, there is one good thing that came out of all this." Carl told me smiling.

"What's that?" I asked looking up at him.

"It brought all these good people together." Carl told me. "And it brought you to me."

"Yeah, you're right." I said smiling. "I'm glad that I'm with you guys. You guys are like my big adoptive family now."

We laughed and Sophia and Carol walked in.

"Oh, I love Monopoly! Can my mom and I join in?" Sophia asked sitting down on the ground next to us.

"Sure." I told her smiling. Soon we were all playing and enjoying ourselves. Carl was right; we needed just forget about everything going on for one night and just have fun and enjoy ourselves. Lori walked in and began watching us with a smile on her face. I could tell she was happy to see everyone happy. After we played for an hour Carol told us it was time for bed. Sophia got up and headed off with her mom into a different room. Most of the other adults were all still drinking and getting drunk.

"Mom, would it be okay if we slept on the couches in here?" Carl asked Lori.

"Sure. I will go see if I can find you some blankets." Lori said beginning to look in cabinets and drawers. "Ah, here's some." She handed some to me and some to Carl.

"Thanks." I told her smiling. I laid the blankets on one of the couches and Carl did the same with the other.

"Okay, your father and I will be in the room right across from here if you need anything." Lori told Carl. "You too, Erin. Goodnight, you two, sleep well." She kissed Carl's forehead and walked out of them room, shutting off the light as she left.

"Erin?" I heard Carl say I name.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Do you think that after this is over, that we will still be friends?" Carl asked me.

"Of course." I said. "We've already been through so much together; you guys are all I got now. I don't know what I will do if I was ever separated from you guys."

"Good." Carl said. "Goodnight, Erin."

"Goodnight, Carl." I told him and then I fell asleep.

Then next morning Carl woke me up like he normally does and we walked in to the cafeteria area and sat around the big table to eat breakfast. Some people were already there and getting their breakfast. T-Dog had made eggs, bacon, and hash browns. I got a little bit of each on my plate and poured myself a glass of orange juice. Then Rick walked in.

"Are you hung-over?" Carl asked his dad smirking. "Mom said you would be." Lori looked over at her son with a funny look. I started laughing.

"Mom is right." Rick said taking a seat. I began laughing even harder. Most of the adults around the table looked pretty sick from drinking last night.

"Protein helps the hangovers." T-Dog said putting eggs on Rick's plate while chuckling.

"Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again." Glenn muttered with his head in his arms.

Then I saw something on the counter near where T-Dog cooked the food and gasped.

"What?" Carl asked me.

I pointed at what I saw. "Fruit." I told him springing out of my chair and piling fruit on my plate.

"Somebody likes fruit." Dale said laughing.

I stopped piling fruit on my plate and look down embarrassed. I walked back to my seat and sat down. "Fruit is good." I mumbled and some people started chuckling. I looked over at Andrea, who still looked really depressed about Amy, and frowned remembering how she died.

"Morning." Jenner said walking into the cafeteria.

"Morning, Doc." Rick replied.

"Doc, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing…" Dale started saying.

"But you will anyway." Jenner mumbled putting food on his plate.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea told him. We all wanted to know more about the disease and what was going on outside. We wanted to know if anyone had gotten close to finding a cure. After breakfast, Jenner led us all into a big room with monitors and a big screen in the front. He opened a file and played it on the big screen. It showed an x-ray video of what looked to be like someone's brain.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked wanting to confirm it.

"An extraordinary one." Jenner answered smiling at him. "Not that it matters in the end." He told him sounding sad. He showed us the process of how people became walkers and what happens to the brain. She told us that when a person becomes infected, the part of our brain that makes us human shuts down and then they come back as something completely different from what they once were. It takes control of the brain and kills them, later waking them up as something else.

"Is that what happened to Jim and Amy?" Sophia asked her mom.

"Yes." Carol said, nodding sadly.

Andrea started crying.

"She lost someone two days ago." Lori told Jenner.

"I know how devastating that can be; I lost someone too." Jenner told Andrea, looking at her with sympathy.

We watched on the screen as the re-awakening started to happen with the test subject. It looked almost as if the brain was restarting, but not quite.

"It's restarting the brain?" Lori asked Jenner.

"No, just the brain stem." He replied. "Basically it gets them up and moving, but…."

"They're not alive." Rick finished.

Jenner gestured towards the screen. "You tell me."

"It's nothing like before. Most of the brain is dark." Rick said.

"Dark, lifeless, dead; the human part doesn't come back; the part that makes you, you." Jenner told us. Then we saw a thing blow through the head of the test subject and it died.

"What was that?" Carol asked.

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea said. "Didn't you?" Jenner began powering off the screen and the monitors in the room. "You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked crossing her arms.

There was no one left; no one that could find a cure. Jenner didn't even know what the disease was yet, or what caused it. I felt hope drain out of me of anyone ever finding a cure.

Jenner started listing things it could possibly be.

"The wrath of God?" Jacqui interrupted him.

"There is that." Jenner said.

I started getting uneasy again. I felt kind of like I did right before the walkers had invaded the camp, but not as nervous. I shifted uncomfortably where I stood.

"Somebody must know something." Andrea told them. "Somebody, somewhere."

"There are others, right?" Carol asked. "Other facilities?"

"There could be some people like me." Jenner told her.

"You don't know?" Rick asked. "How can you not know?"

We were stuck in this world with no cure; no hope of helping people once they were infected.

"Everything went down." Jenner told them. "Communications and everything. I've been in the dark for almost a month.

"So it's not just here?" Andrea asked. "There is nothing left anywhere? That's what you are really saying right?"

Jenner stayed quiet and looked at the ground. People looked like they were all losing hope of ever getting back to their regular lives. I looked up and saw a clock; it looked like it was counting down. That made me very uncomfortable so I left the room and sat down on the ground with my legs to my chest outside the hall way. The other people in the room seemed to be getting nervous too and asked about the clock. Jenner said that the generators will run out of fuel and then decontamination will occur. That didn't sound pleasing. Rick ran out of the room and down to the basement where the power generator was. I stayed where I was in that hallway and shut my eyes trying to shut out what was going on.

Carl walked over and sat down beside me.

"I think you were right about the "too good to be true" thing." Carl said shakily.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and said nothing. The lights turned off for a second then came back on.

"I'm going to go get my bag." I said standing up and running back to the game room. Carl followed me and grabbed his stuff.

"Do you really think that we will be leaving?" Carl said like he was reading my thoughts. Then the air conditioning shut off completely.

"The whole place is shutting down." I told him. "Something big is about to go down; I can feel it. I don't want to be around when that clock reaches zero."

"What do you mean?" Carl asked me confused.

"It's like a warning keeps going off in my head; a red flag sort of thing." I told him. "It happened when the zombies invaded the camp and right before everything went wrong."

Then Lori walked in. "What are you two doing?" she asked.

"Mom, what's going on? What is happening to the CDC?" Carl asked.

"I don't know, probably nothing serious though." Lori lied. "Here, come sit down." She sat on the couch and patted for us to come over and sit with her. Carl dropped his stuff and went over and sat by his mom. I hesitated then set my stuff down as well and walked over to where they were sitting. I took a seat next to Carl, but didn't get comfortable. The lights in the room suddenly turned off. I stood up and began pacing back and forth.

Lori and Carl stood up and peaked outside. They saw Jenner walking by and began asking him questions. They followed him out of the room and into the room with all the monitors. I stayed on the outside, not wanting to be anywhere near the clock. I sat down on the ground with my bag of stuff where I did before with my knees to my chest.

The others were getting nervous about the clock too. Jenner explained to them what was going on and that the power was turning off parts of the building that were not essential. I heard him tell Andrea that the French were the last people to hold out and that they stayed in the labs till the end. Apparently they had lost power too.

I tapped my hand nervously on the ground. Rick was beginning to realize what was going on, he told everyone to go get their things, but before they could get out, an alarm started blaring. Jenner turned off the alarm and people started running towards the exit. Then a door lifted up between me and them. They were blocked in.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

**Lost Hope: The Beginning**

**Chapter Twelve**

I jumped up and banged on the door. The others looked on in horror. They were trapped in there. Jenner had locked them in

"Hey! Open the door!" I yelled to Jenner through the door. The others in the room started panicking and Daryl tried attacking Jenner but Shane held him back. The others were pleading with them to open the door. I looked at the clock; twenty-eight minutes left. I continued banging on the door.

Jenner told him it was better this way. I could hear him yelling through the doors. He told them that the place was going to blow and that there was no way out.

I felt tears begin to fall down my face. "Let them out!" I yelled. "Please, let them out."

Carl looked at me through the glass. I saw that he was crying too. Some of the others began to cry as well. Jenner told them that it was a painless way to die; a way to end all the sorrow and regret for them; a way out of what has become of this world. Daryl and Shane ran to the door and began banging on it with things they found in the room, but the glass would not break. They found axes and began beating on it with that, but they still had no success.

Jenner continued to try to tell the people that it was easier this way. He told them that this would be the best way to die and that out there they would be facing a much more agonizing death. He also told them that the doors were meant to withstand a rocket launcher. I knelt down in front of the door, continuing to cry.

Lori walked up to the door where I knelt down. "Erin, I want you to run. I want you to find a way out and save yourself. Don't wait here with us. You can go, so go." She told me.

I shook my head refusing to leave.

"Please go." Lori said starting to cry herself.

"I'm not leaving any of you!" I shouted.

Carl walked up to the glass by his mom. "Erin, go! Please go." He told me crying.

I looked at him and shook my head, more tears falling from my eyes. He put his hand up to the glass. "Please, Erin. Please go."

I put my hand up where he put his hand and continued to shake my head. I then backed away from the glass and pulled my gun out of the bag. I aimed it at the glass and shot it three times, but it did nothing.

"Erin, go." Lori instructed.

I shook my head one last time. "You guys are my family now. I can't leave my family behind. If I go, I lose my family; if I stay, I will be with them to the end." I said putting a smile on my teary face. I sat down in front of the door again. The others continued to plead Jenner to open the doors.

Shane began freaking out and aimed a shot gun at Jenner's head and then began shooting things around the room until Rick yanked the gun away from him. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes, waiting for the clock to hit zero. I backed away when Daryl began hitting the glass again, even though I knew it wouldn't break. I turned away for a second, but then I heard the door open. I jumped back around to see that they had talked Jenner into opening the doors for them. I felt the hope flood back into me. When Carl ran out I threw my arms around his neck. There is four minutes left on the clock. The others quickly ran to grab their stuff.

Once they got their stuff we ran to the front. The doors wouldn't open. He men began using things to bang on the glass, but it was just like the door. Carl grabbed my hand as Shane began to shoot the glass with a shot gun, but it didn't break.

"Rick I have something that might help." Carol said reaching through her bag.

"Carol I don't think a nail file is going to do it." Shane said.

Carol pulled out a grenade. "When I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." She handed Rick the grenade nervously.

"Everyone get down!" T-Dog shouted and we got behind stuff and ducked. The grenade blew the glass open. We all ran outside and prepared for the bigger explosion about to take place. Carl was still holding my hand. We got into the R.V.

"Where are Andrea, Dale, and Jacqui?" I asked.

"Wait, they're coming." Lori said pointing at Dale and Andrea jumping out of the building and running over to us.

Rick looked at his watch and yelled for everyone to get down; then the explosion. The sound was so loud I thought my ear drums might burst. I could feel the heat from the explosion immediately; red hot flames. Then everything went silent. We looked up and there was no more CDC. The place that we once thought safe was nothing but a pile of ruins, and ashes.

"Get in, get in, get in!" I heard Glenn yell to Andrea and Dale gesturing towards the vehicles. We took a moment to catch our breaths. The anxiety inside of me was beginning to die down. I looked down a saw that Carl was still holding my hand. I gave his hand a small squeeze and smiled slightly. As we began to drive away from the city we could still see the flames from the explosion.

"Where is Jacqui? Did she make it?" I asked noticing that I had not seen her since the explosion.

"Jacqui chose to stay behind." Lori told me sadly.

I felt a tear fall down my face and I nodded sadly. We were on the road again. We were safe for now, but we were out in the open. We were once again exposed to the walker infested world, but I didn't feel so depressed by that. I was happy to be with the new family I made. I feel comfort and happiness when I am with them, even with everything going on. Being with them has helped me realized, that hope is never completely lost, and that in spite of everything that was going on; there is always hope.

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the first story of ****Lost Hope**. **I am working on the second story now, so if you like this story, get ready for more because I am nowhere near done. :D**


End file.
